Class 
Book 




S if-dS 



2. 



Copfyrigtitlj". 



COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 



PAGE'S 



Home 

Floriculture 



A Complete Guide for the GROWING OF 
FLOWERS in the HOUSE and GARDEN. 



CUT FLOWER WORK -LANDSCAPE 
GARDENING, ETC. 



BY W) 

CHAS. N^PAGE 

AUTHOR 
FEATHERED PETS." "AQUARIA." ETC, 



PUBUSHEB BY THE AUTHOR 
DES MOINES, IOWA 



■<>V 




Antient Coat of Arms oS 
the Pag* Family 



Entered according to the act of congress, in the year 1911 

BY CHAS. N. PAGE 

In the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington. 



€cU2S398e5 



PREFACE 



The prime object in preparing this book is to simplify the 
culture of flowers so that every one can succeed with them, 
and thus make them more popular everywhere. 

While there have been many books on the culture of flow- 
ers, still almost without exception they are prepared either 
for the benefit of professional florists or are written in such 
a manner that they are not readily understood by the ama- 
teur. Technical terms and phrases and botanical words are 
used which obscure the meaning to the ordinary reader. The 
few really practical books on this subject which have been 
published are sold at a price which puts them out of reach 
of persons who have but little space or means to devote to 
flowers. 

For more than twenty-five years I have been actively in- 
terested in this subject, being connected with a large firm 
of seedmen, bulb growers and florists and at the present time 
have several greenhouses and more than ten acres of flowers 
growing on my home place. I have also traveled extensively 
among the leading growers and specialists in this line in the 
various parts of this country and Europe, and for five years 
was editor of a horticultural Magazine. In "Home Floricul- 
ture" I have tried to combine the information secured from 
various sources, in such a manner that it will be of prac- 
tical interest to the readers of this book. 

That it may prove of great benefit is the earnest desire of 

THE AUTHOR. 



Nature's Work 

'Lo! on each seed within its slender rind, 
Life's Golden threads in endless circles wind. 
Maze within maze the lucid webs are roH'd 
And as they burst, the living plant unfold. 
The pulpy acorn, ere it swells, contains 
The oak's vast branches in its milky veins, 
Each ravl'd bud, fine- film, and fibre- line. 
Traced with nice pencil on the small design. 
The young Narcissus, in its bulb compressed. 
Cradles a second nestling on its breast; 
In whose fine arms a younger embryo lies. 
Folds its thin leaves, and shuts its floret-eyes; 
Grain within grain successive harvests dwell. 
And boundless forests slumber in a shell." 



THE LOVE OF FLOWERS. 

"It would be folly to gild refined gold, paint the lily or 
add perfume to the violet." 

What is there more charming in the natural 
world, than a nice flower garden? No spot 
can contain so much which is really beautiful 
and attractive and no pen can describe the 
wonderful variety of flowers which it may con- 
tain or the ever-changing beauties. The garb 
of no earthly monarch has ever exceeded them 
in glory, as they are beyond the skill of hu- 
man art. 

It requires neither age, knowledge, nor for- 
tune to enable one to love beautiful flowers. 
The growing of flowers appeals to our nature 
in more ways than one. It gratifies an inborn 
desire for beauty; it satisfies our cravings to 
beautify our surroundings and make them bet- 
ter by our own efforts, and we feel that in 
some way we can benefit others as well as our- 
selves; it affords a natural and wholesome re- 
action in times of restlessness and toil, and 
l)rings us into closer, more sympathetic touch 
with Nature. Lord Bacon says : "God Al- 
mighty first planted a garden, and indeed, it 
is the purest of human pleasures, it is the 
greatest refreshment to the spirits of man. 



8 HOME FLORICULTURE 

house, and a neat and well-kept garden. The 
housewife who takes pride in her flower gar- 
den, generally has a home also which she can 
be proud of, even if the house itself is small 
and inexpensive. 

Don't let anyone make you believe that luck 
has anything to do with success in cultivating 
flowers. It requires industry and care to suc- 
ceed with them, and if you really love flowers, 
you will soon learn what their wants are. In 
starting either a window garden or an out- 
door flower garden, select, to begin with, va- 
rieties which are easily grown, and do not be- 
gin with exotic plants or high-priced novelties. 
Study your plants, and try and select varieties. 
which are adapted to the various situations 
which you have ready for them. 



'God might have bade the earth bring forth 

Enough for great and small, 
The oak tree and the cedar tree. 

Without a flower at all. 

He might have made enough, enough 

For every want of ours — 
For luxury, medicine, and toil. 

And yet have made no flowers. 

Our outward life requires them not — 
Then, loherefore, have they birth? 

To minister delight to man; 
To beautify the earth. 

To comfort man — to ivhisper hope 

Whene'er his faith is dim; 
For whoso careth for the flowers 

Will much more care for Him." 



HOME FLORICULTURE 9 

BOTANY. 

To appreciate the beauty of flowers and be- 
come truly interested in floriculture it is well 
to have at least a rudimental knowledge of 
botany. It is not the purpose of this book to 
teach botany, but simply to give an introduc- 
tion to it, hoping to lead to further research. 
Should you find botany from text-books a dull 
study, go to the fields, woods and gardens and 
learn direct from observation of the plants and 
flowers themselves and you will surely find 
this plan a source of perennial delight. By 
studying nature you will not only learn to en- 
joy the flowers better, but you will find 
"tongues in trees, books in running brooks, 
sermons in stones, and good in everything." 

The study of botany is one of the most de- 
sirable pursuits for invalids who are not able 
to work, but still who find the time hanging 
heavy on their hands. 

One desirable feature of this pursuit is that 
it takes the student out of doors, so that he 
breathes plenty of fresh, pure air, and in exam- 
ining the plants closely and studying their na- 
ture, he forgets to think of his own ills and 
troubles, and is, therefore, better able to fight 
disease. Instead of walking simply for exer- 
cise, he has some definite aim in view on his 
long trips through the woods and country. 
When he is so inclined, he can have a sketch 
book along and outline the different flowers 
and leaves. He can also have some good ref- 
erence book on the wild flowers, which will 



10 HOME FLORICULTURE 

help him to recognize them at sight, and be- 
fore long, his portfolio of specimens of native 
plants will be of decided interest to his friends, 
as well as to himself. He will soon become 
accustomed to the ordinary botanical terms 
and secure real pleasure from the study, while 
if he undertook to make a study of botany in 
the house from books, he would soon lose in- 
terest and it would become tiresome. As one 
writer has well said, "A little genuine en- 
thusiasm in this study will put more life into 
a sick body than all the drugs in the dispen- 
sary." If the shut-ins are disposed to try it, 
their friends will bring sufficient specimens to 
interest them, until they are able to get out 
into the fields themselves. 

One does not become a botanist by reading 
or studying books on this subject, as it is nec- 
essary to study the plants themselves. Take 
them to pieces and closely examine the various 
organs and parts of which the plant consists. 
The beginner can hardly do better at the out- 
set than to examine the structure of some 
common kinds of large seeds, such as corn, 
beans, squash, morning-glory or sunflower 
under the microscope and then sprout them 
and watch their growth, making analysis of 
various seeds from time to time as the growth 
progresses and learn what you can of the man- 
ner of both top and root growth. 

Most plants consist of root, stem, branches, 
leaves, flowers and seed. The root is that por- 
tion which extends down into the ground and 
secures from same the moisture and nutriment 



HOME FLORICULTURE 



11 



"STJDMfi*- 







A COMPOSITE PLANT SHOWING THE IMPORTANT PARTS 



12 HOME FLORICULTURE 

on which mainly the plant subsists. Some 
plants, such as peas, beans, clover and other 
legumes, have the power of gathering nitrogen 
from the air and depositing it in the soil and 
thus their growth really adds to its fertility in- 
stead of detracting from it. By observation 
you will notice a great difference in roots such 
as fibrous, branching, tuberous, etc. 

The stems of plants are of various shapes, 
round, square, ^^riangular, etc. Some stand 
erect, others are prostrate, trailing or climbing. 
Some stems are smooth, others branching in' 
tlieir habit of growth. 

The first small leaves which appear on a 
young seedling are called seed leaves or coty- 
ledons. Next the so-called permanent or char- 
acter leaves appear and they are of almost all 
shapes imaginable and with various systems of 
veining. 

It is apparently the prime object in the life 
of every plant (with very few exceptions) to 
produce seed fdr the continuance of its kind 
and this it does b}^ means of flowers which are 
usually of more or less showy or attractive 
shapes and^colors. 

The petals or flower cup surrounds the re- 
productive organs, which consist essentially 
of the stamens and pistil or pistils. 

The stamens produce the fine powdery ma-, 
terial called pollen on the anthers or tips of 
their slender stalks. These particles or grains 
of pollen are deposited on the roughened sur- 
face of the pistil or seed-bearing organ from 
whence through tiny tubes it reaches the little 




HOME FLORICULTURE 13 

ovules in the ovary below and quickens them 
into life so that seed is produced. It this, 
pollen on the stamens is removed or in any 
way destroyed no seed will be formed or the 
seed will be imperfect, hav- 
ing no life germ in it. In 
most simple flowers these 
parts can readily be seen 
with the naked eye or better 
studied with the aid of an 
ordinary magnifying glass. 
In most flowers cross fertil- 
MAGNiEYiNG GLASS i^atiou is uecessary, that is 
the pollen from another flower is essential in 
order to properly fertilize the receptive organs, 
the pollen produced by the same flower hav- 
ing no effect or not making seed capable ot 
growing as perfect or healthy plants. 
"^ By their bright-colored petals, by their fra- 
o-rance or by the little glands of nectar or, 
honey, insects are attracted and by their vis- 
its from one flower to another the pollen is 
distributed and cross fertilization is effected 
in this way as well as by the influence of the 
wind To identify a plant about which there 
is any doubt a botanist always wants to see 
the flowers. Botany is essentially the study 
of flowers, although it takes in the entire vege- 
table kingdom which like the animal kingdom 
is divided into numerous subdivisions. I he 
lower forms are often so closely allied that it 
is sometimes almost impossible to distinguish 
between vegetable and animal life even under 
a powerful microscope. As animals are di- 



14 HOME FLORICULTURE 

vidcd into the general classes of mammals, 
birds, reptiles and fishes and these are sepa- 
rated into nian\' subdivisions, so plant life is 
divided into numerous classes which are di- 
vided into orders, genera and species. These 
species may consist of a great number of va- 
rieties w^hich are constantly being increased 
by high culture, crossing or sports. 



HOW NEW VARIETIES ORIGINATE. 

During the past few years, the horticultural 
papers have been full of items reigarding Luth- 
er Burbank, Dr. Franceschi and other horti- 
cultural experimenters who claim to have orig- 
inated new varieties of flowers or vegetables, 
and we believe that many of our readers are 
interested in this subject. 

It is generally conceded by the best posted 
horticulturists that there is no known way 
whereby anyone can produce a sport or freak 
in plant life, but Nature responds to high cul- 
ture and is more successful by means of in- 
sects in arranging so-called hybrids or crosses, 
than by any efforts of man. 

Some time ago the waiter made a trip among 
the seed growers of Europe and while in cen- 
tral Germany his attention was especially di- 
rected to the large number of plants growing 
there in pots on benches or stages, as they are 
called, under shelter. In some cases there 
were more than 100,000 five to seven-inch pots 
each one containing a plant of Stocks, double 
Petunia, or some other flower which required 
hand hybridizing or crossing. These require 



HOME FLORICULTURE 15 

very careful, intelligent labor to produce the 
results The flower that is intended to be 
operated on must be carefully watched and the 
moment the bud unrolls, the stamens are care- 
fully removed to prevent the action ot the 
pollen which they would produce. Then with, 
a small camel's hair brush, some pollen is 
taken from the anthers of another plant, se- 
lected for hvbridization, and carefully placed 
on the stig-ma or pistil of the flower to be 
hybridized. These pollen grains extend them- 
selves down through the pistil and into the 
ovary, and the process of hybridization is com- 
plete The seeds produced will doubtless par- 
take 'largely of the character of the mother 
plant, but a certain proportion of them will re- 
semble the plant from which the pollen was 
taken These crosses are usually made be- 
tween different varieties of the same species 
and real hybrids are rare. Plants are arranged 
in natural groups or families and they can be 
hybridized only by plants of the same family. 
These families are usually composed of several 
smaller groups called genera, which bear great 
resemblance to each other, but are distinct m 
certain prominent characteristics, t^ach gen- 
era usually has several divisions called species. 
Sometimes hvbridizing is done by nature, 
caused. through the agency, of . the winds, or 
insects. .... • . • • 

There "is. much pleasure in trying for your- 
self to cross-fertilize flowers so as to secure 
new varieties. It does not require an educated 
expert to perform the operation, as it is quite 



16 HOME FLORICULTURE 

simple.* All that is required is sufficient under- 
standing of the structure of plants so as to 
know the difference between the stamen and 
the pistil. The only tools needed are a pair 
of sharp, fine-pointed scissors, a pair of tweez- 
ers, and a small soft camel's hair brush. You 
will have better success, if you make your ex- 
periment early in the season, when plants are 
in full health and vigor instead of waiting until 
nearer to the end of the summer, when plants 
may be past their prime. Select for your ex- 
periment not only strong, vigorous plants, but 
blossoms which are as perfect and well formed 
as possible, and also of the desired color or 
markings. Decide what point you are going 
to work for. Possibly you have a plant of 
strong, vigorous growth, but rather small 
flowers, and another of inferior habit, but with 
exceptionally beautiful colors. Select a good 
flower on each plant, which are open at the 
same time, and choosing the most vigorous 
plant to bear the seed, remove every stamen 
from the flower, as soon as it is open. After 
removing the stamens, tie a piece of gauze 
cloth over the blossom to prevent the introduc- 
tion of pollen, by the insects. Examine the 
flower occasionally, and as soon as the other 
flower, which you are going to fertilize is 
ready, take off the gauze bag, and with your 
brush transfer some of the pollen and place it 
on the extreme end of the pistil of the flower, 
from which you cut the stamens, replace the 
gauze bag upon the latter flower and allow the 
seed to ripen. It is a good plan on this seed 



HOME FLORICULTURE 17 

bearing plant, to remove all the flowers which 
you do not hybridize by hand, so as to throw 
the strength of the entire plant to the produc- 
tion of strong seed. It is well to try your ex- 
periment first with some wide open flower, as 
it will be easier to succeed with it than with a 
small, close-flowered plant. The next season 
when you are growing these young seedlings, 
you will be greatly delighted in watching the 
unfolding of the flowers, as possibly they may 
develop into some rare beauty, different from 
anything heretofore known. 

It must be admitted, however, that very few 
crosses between flowers which are very differ- 
ent from each other are of any practical value 
and they are usually inferior to either of the 
parent plants, probably not more than one out 
of a thousand shows a decided improvement, 
so as to be worthy of future culture. The in- 
sects succeed much better in distributing the 
pollen, however, and many growers who desire 
to cross certain varieties, plant alternate rows 
of the kinds and the second year they may find 
some few plants which are a real improvement, 
and these are established by a continuation of 
careful seed selection through a series of years. 

Sometimes after a variety has been grown 
and kept strictly pure for a number of years 
it will "break" or "sport," and produce a 
"freak" different from anything ever seen be- 
fore. Men with a trained eye will notice the 
slightest variation from a type and if it is an 
improvement will try to perpetuate the same. 



18 KOME FLORICULTURE 

SLEEPING FLOWERS. 

"At nightfall many flowers and plants go to 
sleep. Soon after sunset the white petals of 
the common white daisy close gently over the 
flower's golden eye and they again look like 
half opened buds, the Portulaca folds its bright 
flowers up closely for the night and even the 
leaves grow sleepy and cuddle up closely 
around the stem. The Sensitive Plant (Mi- 
mosa) folds its leaflets closely together, as 
does also the little Oxalis, the Locust and 
Wistaria. The Red Clover bows its proud 
head and its leaflets approach each other face 
to face, as if in evening devotion, and even the 
showy dandelions close their bright eyes for 
a long sleep and do not aAvake until the sun is 
high in the heavens the following day. 

Some flowers, however, are decidedly noc- 
turnal in their habits. The Moonflower does 
not dare *to show its head during the hours 
when the sun reigns supreme, but at nightfall 
and on dark, gloomy days, w^e can revel in 
tbe-ir beauty. The Yucca, Honeysuckle and 
white Da3^Lil3^ usually open their fresh flow- 
ers in the evening as does also the Evening 
Pr-imrose (Oenothera) which opens with a vis- 
; -iple start and popping sound. These night 
bloomers are also much more fragrant in the 
evening- and some flowers such as the night 
bloomi^ig Jasmine, which are decidedly plain 
and unattractive in appearance and also Avith- 
out odor during the day, at nightfall throw out 
an almost overpowering fragrance noticeable 



HOME FLORICULTURE 19 

at a considerable distance from the plant. 
There are also many other flowers which open 
at certain hours of the day like the well-known 
Four O'clock (Mirabilis Jalapa) and while it 
would not do to set a clock by them or use 
them as a guide in catching a train, as their 
opening is regulated to some extent 'by the 
state of the weather, still their seeming knowl- 
edge of time is truly wonderful. 



GROWING FROM SEED. 

'■ By far the most simple method of propagat- 
ing most varieties of plants is by means of 
seeds. Many of the ordinary varieties of 
flower seeds, such as Alyssum, Mignonette, 
Candytuft, Sweet Peas, Phlox, Poppies, Nas- 
turtium, Morning Glory, etc., may be sown in 
the open ground where the plants are to stand. 
Prepare the place for them by digging the soil 
up deeply ; thoroughly pulverize and rake so 
as to remove or break to pieces any large clods 
and make a fine, even surface. The seeds may 
be sown as early as danger of severe frost is 
past and if you sow the seed in rows it makes 
the after cultivation very much easier. Cover 
the seed about four times its diameter and 
press the soil firmly over the rows. Large 
seeds like Sweet Peas, Morning Glory and 
Sunflower, should be planted some deeper, 
however, about two or three inches being right 
for Sweet Peas. Seed should be sown fairly 
thick to allow for some which will not grow, 
either from lack of vitality or from some un- 



20 HOME FLORICULTURE 

favorable condition of the soil, insects, lack of 
moisture, etc. Should the seedlings come up 
too thickly, as most of them are likely to do, 
thin them out so that the plants will stand 
four to eighteen inches apart, according to the 
habit of growth of that variety. If you do 
your thinning in the evening or on a cloudy 
day the plants removed may be transplanted 
to other locations. A few varieties, however, 
like the Annual Poppy, are impatient of being 
disturbed and it is almost impossible to suc- 
cessfully transplant them. 

Many kinds of flower seeds should be started 
indoors or in a hotbed and this includes a large 
proportion of our best and brightest summer 
flowers such as Verbenas, Pansies, Asters, Hel- 
iotrope, Salvias, etc. In this way you will not 
only secure more robust, well-grown plants, 
but you can start the seed early in the season 
and thus have a much longer season of bloom. 
By starting the seed in January, many of the 
biennials and perennials can be induced to 
bloom the first year. 

In starting seeds in the house, it is best to 
use shallow boxes or earthenware seed pans, 
about two inches deep, being sure that there is 
good drainage so that the soil will not become 
waterlogged, soggy or sour. We prefer to 
use a box about two and one-half or three 
inches deep, so that there will be about an inch 
space between the soil and the top edge of the 
box to give room for the young plants below 
the glass. Covering the box with a pane of 
glass helps to keep the temperature even and 




HOME FLORICULTURE 21 

retains the moisture. The accompanying illus- 
tration shows a somewhat deeper box with 
sloping top. Seeds germinate more readily in 
light, sandy soil and if ob- 
tainable we would recom- 
mend a mixture of one-third 
sand, one-third leaf mould 
_jand one-third common gar- 
Bden soil. Sift so as to re- 
GLAss COVERED BOX movc lumps aiid put the soil 
in good condition. Press the 
soil down lightly with a block or similar flat 
surface and after sowing the seed and cover- 
ing, press it down firmly. If the seed is very 
fine, like Begonia or Petunia, it will require no 
covering of soil. 

The first time the box is watered, if it is not 
too large, we set it into a pan of water and let 
the moisture soak, up slowly from below. 
Later waterings can be made from above, by 
sprinkling in the usual manner when it seems 
to require it. Do not sow any kind of seed 
when the soil is wet. 

Finely pulverized and sifted sphagnum moss 
sprinkled over the box in which fine flower 
seeds have been sown, will help keep the soil 
moist and the seeds will germinate better. 

Darkness, and definite amounts of heat, 
moisture and oxygen are required for the ger- 
mination of seeds. It is not necessary to mix 
fertilizer with the soil in the seed box, as seeds 
are stored w^ith sufficient energy to enable 
them to develop a certain length of shoot and 
root and it is not necessary to have the soil 



22 HOME FLORICULTURE 

very rich, provided it is intended to transplant 
the seedlings. Keep the box in a fairly warm 
place and as soon as the plants begin to prick 
through it must be brought to the light. 

As soon as the young plants attain their first 
perjnanent leaves they may be pricked out into 
a- Shallow box, giving each plant sufficient room 
for its development, or if the, weather is favor- 
able they may be transplanted to their perma- 
nent places in the open ground. 

In transplanting young seedlings in the 
house, care must be exercised in watering, as 
they are quite subject to damping oiT. This 
is really a fungus which attacks the plant, just 
above the surface of the soil, and rots them 
ofif. It spreads very rapidly and sometimes 
sweeps off hundreds or thousands of young 
plants in a single night. Should your seed- 
lings become affected in that way, remove at 
once those which have been killed and scatter 
lime and sulphur over the surface of the 
ground, around the edges of which the damp- 
ing off occurred, so as to prevent further 
spread of this trouble. 

It was formerly assumed by many writers 
that it was highly expedient, where possible 
or practicable, to sow all seeds where the 
plants were intended to grow and that trans- 
planting not only caused additional labor, but 
was really a disadvantage to the crop. The 
reverse is really the case with most varieties 
of flower seeds, excepting only such sorts as 
have a tap root like annual Poppies and thus 
are difficult to move. 



HOME B^LORICULTURE 23 

It has been proven conclusively, by almost 
endless experiments, that transplanting is 
really essential to superior cultivation, as it 
checks in some measure the natural tendency 
to "wildness" in the growth and will make 
more symmetrical, perfect shaped specimen 
plants, as well as earlier and better bloom. 
With many varieties better success is secured 
by transplanting once in the house or hotbed 
before the final setting out in the open ground, 
and still better if you can grow in pots and 
shift from one pot to a larger one as the plant 
increases in size. In this way the roots are 
all confined in a small space and make a ball 
of roots around the plant which help to prop- 
erly sustain it when first set out. In trans- 
planting or "pricking out," as it is called, the 
small seedlings, care should be exercised not to 
pull them out of dry soil or a large proportion 
of the small, tender roots will be broken off. 
In all cases the bed where the seedlings are 
growing should be thoroughly watered and, if 
needful, a small stick or trowel may be used 
to break the ground or lift or pry up the roots. 
If the plants have been too much crowded in 
the seed bed and are somewhat drawn out or 
"leggy," they should be planted somewhat 
deeper than they stood before, but never so 
deeply that the soil reaches the leaves, which 
should always be above the ground and free 
to the air. 




24 HOME FLORICULTURE 

PROPAGATION OF PLANTS. 

Growing plants from seeds is the most sim- 
ple method of propagating and it is treated in 
the previous chapter. Many kinds of plants 
however, are more readily or better propa- 
gated by cuttings or division of roots. A cut- 
ting may be brief- 
ly described as a 
separate portion 
of a plant, which 
can be caused to 
produce new 
roots, branches 
and leaves and to 
become an inde- 

CUTTINGS ROOTED IN A DISH __J 4. ^1 4. 

pendent plant. 
Such a cutting when placed in sand or soil 
establishes a communication with the soil and 
takes up life as an individual plant. 

Most plants are more readily grown from 
soft wood "slips" or cuttings, of which Ge- 
raniums, Begonias and Coleus are examples. 

Where Geraniums, Begonias, Heliotropes, 
and other soft-rooted plants are desired for the 
winter window garden, cuttings may be made 
any time during the summer, and be planted 
partially under the shade of the parent plant in 
the open ground, being sure that they are well 
watered, and it is a good plan to put the cut- 
ting in towards evening, and shade them for 
a day or two with newspaper. A still better 
plan, however, is to take a box of any handy 
size, and about three or four inches deep, fill 



HOME FLORICULTURE 



25 



the box two-thirds full with sand, press it 
down evenly and cut a mark with a knife down 
through the sand to the bottom, across the 
box. Cuttings may be placed in these marks 
from a half inch to two inches apart in the 
row, according to the nature and size of the 
cuttings; for very small cuttings these rows 
may be put in about an inch and a half to two 
inches apart; for more sturdy sorts better 





CARNATION 

make them three inches apart. Tip cuttings 
usually are the most desirable, though when 
many plants are desired, and you have but a 
limited amount of stock to cut from, prac- 
tically the entire plant may be cut up into 
short lengths of one or two joints. 
These cuttings should be made with a sharp 



2G 



HOME FLORICULTURE 



knife, so as to make a clean cut. After cut- 
tings have been placed in ]iosition, press the 
soil firmly around them, and water thoroughly 
to begin with, and occasionally thereafter as 
the plants appear to need it. In a few days, it 
will be found that the lower end of the cutting 
has calloused, and soon thereafter the roots 
will start. After the cuttings have struck root, 
they may be potted singly into small pots and 
shifted from time to time into larger pots as 
the season progresses. 




GERA^^lUM 



ALTERKANTHERA 



The accompanying illustrations made from 
cuttings rooted in the writer's greenhouse, 
show the manner of rooting while in the cut- 
ting bed, the dotted line showing surface of 
the sand. All of these have made some leaf 
growth while in the sand, especially the 



HOME FLORICULTURE 



27 




HELIOTROPE 



COLEUS 



Alternanthera, which was only a little sprig 
when put in, and the roots you will notice 
come out at each joint, but not between. Cut- 
tings from most plants will root more readily 

if made at or just 
below the joint. The 
Coleus cutting was 
made" b€3:ween the 
joints and you see it 
has thrown out a 
wonderful mass of 
small fibrous roots. 
The Sanseverias are 
propagated by cut- 
ting the long sword- 
sANSEVEEiA i|]^g Icaves iuto small 

sections an inch or two long. It roots readily 
and soon sends up young sprouts. The Geran- 
iums frequently begin blossoming while in the 
cutting bed. 




28 HOME FLORICULTURE 

Some plants, such as the Bouvardia and 
Camelia Vine, are more easily propagated by 
means of root cuttings, using small sections of 
the root about an inch long and sowing them 
thickly in the rows in the propagating bed or 
in a box of sand or soil, and in a short time 
they will look like a row of young seedlings 
Other plants, such as the Rex Begonias, are 
the most readily propagated from leaf cuttings. 
The large, nearly mature leaves are used and 
they may be either laid down on the sand 
firmly held down with bent toothpicks or small 
hairpins. Cut the large ribs in several places 
and you will often secure quite a number of 
plants from one leaf. Or the leaf may be cut 
into several parts and stood up edgewise in the 
sand. One of the most curious plants of this 

class is the Bryo- 
_^^^---^^5-^ phylum which has 
notched leaves and if 
left lying on the soil 
a young plant will 
spring up from each 
BRYOPHTLUM H o t c h. Thc Saxi- 

fraga sends out strawberry-like runners, each 
of which produces one or more little plants, 
and when grown in a hanging basket these 
plants look quite curious suspended in midair. 
Some plants, such as the shrubs, can be bet- 
ter grown from mature or hardwood cuttings 
and best results are obtained by making the 
cuttings in the fall and burying them in sand 
in the cellar, where they will slowly callous. 
They may be brought to the light and planted 




HOME FLORICULTURE 29 

in the cutting bed early in the spring or set in 
rows in the open ground.. They will then be 
ready to make root growth at once and soon be- 
come sturdy young plants. The expense of prop- 
agating shrubs and hard-wooded plants in this 
way is much less than by any other method. 

Verbenas, Honeysuckles, Ivies and other 
plants which throw out branches procumbent 
on the ground are readily propagated by layer- 
ing. Bend the stem down and cover it at in- 
tervals with soil, pegging it down to hold it 
securely. If an incision or cut is made with 
a sharp knife on the under side of the stem 
just below a joint it will root more quickly. 
It should be understood, however, that in lay- 
ering the tip of the stem must be left un- 
covered. 

Many species of plants may be increased by 
simply dividing the roots. Some sorts sepa- 
rate easily with the fingers, but it requires a 
knife to divide others. Agaves and numerous 
other plants have offsets which cluster around 
the parent plant. They may be removed and 
potted separately and will at once take up an 
individual existence. 

As soon as any kind of cuttings are .«well 
rooted in the house they should be taken out 
of the sand and potted and it is always best to 
use small pots at first, usually a two or two 
and a half inch pot is best. Put a little soil 
in the bottom of the pot, place the cutting well 
down in the pot, spreading the roots out, and 



30 



HOME FLORICULTURE 



fill in the soil around it, pressing it down firm- 
ly- with the fingers so that it is about a quar- 
ter of an inch 
below the rim 
to leave room 
for water. If 
the young 
plants are to be 
kept in the 
house, where 
the air is dry, it 
may be neces- 
sary to bed the 
pots in a box or 
pan of sand, 
sawdust, or soil 
to prevent their 
drying out too 
rapidly. It is 
best in the window garden to confine the roots 
of most plants in as small pots as they will do 
well in, otherwise there is a tendency of the 
soil to become sour. The best soil for plants 
is composed of w^ell-rotted sod, mixed with 
about one-fourth pulverized, rotted cow ma- 
nure and about one-fourth sand. Small pieces of 
charcoal placed in the bottom of the pot are 
beneficial and will help keep soil pure and 
sweet. If you are where you can obtain leaf 
mould, it is just as good, if not better, for many 
plants than the soil and manure, but should 
have some sand mixed with it. 

In potting plants, the soil should be slightly 
moist, but never wet, as soil should never be 




HOME FLORICULTURE 31 

handled when wet, as it is apt to cake it so as 
to make it unfit for plants to grow in 

It was formerly thought that nearly every 
kind of plant needed a soil specially prepared 
for it but this was a mistake. Ninety-nine out 
of every hundred plants, that can be grown in 
the house, will do well in any good soil that is 
not too heavy and compact to allow water to 
run through it readily. Roses, however, will 
do better if the soil is rather heavy and c€>n- 
tains a considerable proportion of clay. 

The plants should be shifted to larged sized 
pots, as they grow and become potbound, and 
any pot more than three inches in diameter 
should have something in the way of drain- 
age in the bottom. Pieces of broken pots, 
brick, or charcoal are excellent for the purpose. 
In almost all books of floriculture you will 
find the statements that the pots should 
be porous and not glazed. These books, how- 
ever, are usually written by florists, and have 
special reference to plants grown in the green- 
houses. It is important to have porous pots 
for plants which are grown close together on 
a greenhouse bench, in the^noist atmosphere, 
but it is not as important for the private 
grower in the window garden. We have seen 
many beautiful plants growing in glazed pots, 
and even in tin cans, painted flower pots, 
etc While it is sometimes difficult to secure 
o-lazed pots, as there are few potteries which 
make them, still if you can obtain such you 
will find that they will look more tidy, and it is 



32 HOME FLORICULTURE 

easier to keep them clean. The ordinary flower 
pots to begin with are not handsome and they 
are very apt to get dirty and covered with 
fungus growth. 

In some localities it is difficult to keep the 
flower pots clean, as the green algae grows on 
them, and gives them an unpleasant appear- 
ance, so that they require scrubbing often. In 
order to kill this and prevent the pots becom- 
ing green, it is well to soak them for about an 
hour in a solution composed of carbonate of 
copper, one ounce; ammonia, one quart, and 
diluted with eight to ten gallons of water. Of 
course, by using a jardiniere, as an outside cov- 
ering for the flower pot, this trouble is rem- 
edied, but be sure that the water does not 
gather in the jardinieres. Many plants are 
killed by having too much water applied to the 
roots in this way. 

POTTING PLANTS. 

In the fall of the year as cold weather ap- 
proaches, we dislike to see our summer favor- 
ites perish, and therefore, bring such of them 
to the house as will loc»k well in the window 
garden. In lifting them from the open ground, 
try and secure all of the roots possible, and if 
many of them are broken ofif, it is advisable to 
prune or trim the plant at the time of potting. 
The vitality and vigor of the plant are due to 
the innumerable roots which sometimes are so 
small and threadlike as to be almost invisible, 
and at the same time so tender that they read- 



HOME FLORICULTURE 33 

ily separate from the main root when -the 
ground is disturbed. These fine, fibrous roots 
are sometimes called "working roots," as they 
gather the nutriment from the soil. When the 
plant is potted and many of these small roots 
removed, it is necessary for them to start again, 
before the plant can recover its full vigor, and 
if the plant is not pruned, there is such a heavy 
proportion of leafage compared to the root, 
that there is a tendency of the leaves to be- 
come yellow and drop from the stem. 

After plants are lifted from the open ground, 
they should be kept in the shade for several 
days and gradually brought to the light. 
Water thoroughly to begin with, but do not 
keep them overly wet. The soil for potting 
should be mixed thoroughly, and we usually 
sift it through a coarse screen to remove the 
lumps. This makes a good general mixture for 
Geraniums and most soft wood plants. Roses 
grow better if the soil is part clay, and the 
bloom is usually much brighter in color. 

It is a still better way when plants are de- 
sired for winter blooming, to put them in fair- 
sized pots in the spring and plunge these pots 
into the open ground. While this gives the 
plant the benefit of outdoor conditions and 
makes it more healthy, still the roots are con- 
fined to the pot when the plant is lifted in the 
fall, and are not mutilated. In plunging the 
pot in this way, however, it is well to cover 
the hole in the bottom with a stone or some 
substance which will prevent the tap root go- 



34 



HOME FLORICULTURE 



ing through the hole and causing trouble when 
the pot is taken out. Keep the soil loose in 
pots by stirring the top soil frequently and as 
deeply as possible without disturbing the roots. 
If the soil is hard and packed you cannot ex- 
pect handsome plants nor abundant flowers. 



HOTBEDS. 

If you have no greenhouse, you will find that 
a good hot-bed is one of the most important 
adjuncts to either the vegetable or flower gar- 
den. Many varieties of flowers should be 
started early and the hotbed enables one to 
either start the seeds or root the cuttings. A 
well-drained corner of the garden, sheltered 

from cold 
winds, b u t 
fully ex- 
posed to 
the light 
and sunshine 
from morn- 
i n g until 
night, is a 
good place 
for the hot- 
bed. An ex- 
c a \' a t i o n 
should be 
made about 
eighteen 
inches deep, 
six feet wide and as long as desired. The hot- 
bed sash are alM)ut three by six feet and a 




HOME FLORICULTURE 35 

frame should be made of boards or plank' of 
proper width to fit them, with one side suf- 
ficiently higher than the other to make a good 
drainage. x\fter filling the excavation with 
fresh horse manure from which the first rank 
heat has passed off, tramp it down so that it 
fills the space about fifteen inches deep. Then 
put on the wooden frame and cover the ma- 
nure with a layer of about five inches of good 
finely-sifted soil. Bank up around the outside 
of the frame with manure and soil to protect 
from severe weather and put on the sash. The 
temperature should be about 75 degrees when 
ready to sow the seed. Should it become very 
much too hot, ventilate by making holes down 
into the manure to let ofT surplus heat. Be 
careful about overwatering, and on warm, 
sunny days it may be necessary to shade the 
glass and to raise the sash a trifle at one edge 
for ventilation. 




HOTBEDS BESIDE A GREENHOUSE 

A cold frame is like a hotbed, but is made 
on the surface of the ground without any ex- 



36 



HOME FLORICULTURE 



cavating nor manure, except that it is well to 
l)ank up the frame around the outside. During 
cold nights and stormy days^ the beds should 
l)e closely covered with sash and in severe 
weather further protected with straw, mats or 
shutters. These frames are particularly useful 
in the south. 



PRIVATE GREENHOUSES. 

"Who loves a aarden loves a greenhouse too. 
Unconscious of a less propitious clime. 
There blooms exotic beauty, warm and snug, 
While the winds whistle, and the snows descend." 

— Cowper. 

If flower lovers only realized the great 
amount of pleasure to be derived from having 
a private greenhouse, well stocked with plants, 
we are sure more persons would build houses. 
After all a greenhouse is simply a garden en- 




A LEAN-TO GREENHOUSE 



HOME FLORICULTURE 



37 



closed in glass; it adds months of enjoyment 
each year to your life, and to be fully appre- 
ciated should be located near the dwelling 
where you can pass many a happy hour work- 
ing with your plants. If properly managed, 
greenhouse work is very healthful ; not only is 
the handling of fresh soil beneficial, .but the 
effect of the sunlight is decidedly advanta- 
geous. 




INSIDE VIEW OF ABOVE LEAN-TO 



If you can afford the expense, it is desirable 
to have an artistically constructed greenhouse, 
located in a sightly place, where it will add 
much to the appearance of the place, and there 
are almost endless variety of styles in such 
architecture. An ordinary architect knows 
very little about this class of work, and it is 
useless to consult them. It will be much easier 



38 HOME FLORICULTURE 

to take up the matter with some regular firm of 
greenhouse builders, make your wants known 
to them, and they will help you plan an at- 
tractive house. Any florist or seedsman can 
give you the names of these builders, or the 
writer can furnish the addresses if desired. 

If you wish an inexpensive house, it will be 
easily constructed by any good carpenter, but 
it will pay you to purchase the sash bars, ven- 
tilators and some of the other material from 
some manufacturer making a specialty of that 
class of material. It pays much better to con- 
struct the greenhouse of cypress, as it does not 
rot like most ordinary wood, and is but very 
little more expensive. It pays to build well, 
so as to keep out severe cold. In this cold 
climate we prefer wooden walls instead of 
brick, stone or cement. The posts should be 
set deep in the ground, in order to make the 
building firm. Around the outside there should 
be two thicknesses of lumber, with two or 
three layers of tarred felt between to keep out 
the cold. Joints should be made with special 
care and it is best to have one thickness of the 
lumber put on horizontally and the other per- 
pendicularly, so as to prevent any danger of the 
joints meeting and thus making ventilation 
which you do not desire. There is a great dif- 
ference of opinion as to whether glass should 
have the panes placed end to end, or whether 
they should be lapped, 'but most florists now 
prefer lapped glass, but they make the lapping 
very narrow, only one-fourth of an inch. With 
the old style of glazing, where the glass was 



HOME FLORICULTURE 39 

lapped from half an inch to two inches, the 
frost would gather between the two panes and 
swell in such a way as to crack one or both of 
them. The dirt would also accumulate there 
making the house look unsightly, and also 
shading the plants at the very time when the 
most sunlight is desired. 

There is also a great variety of manners of 
heating greenhouses. The old style of heat- 
ing was by means of brick flues, somewhat 
similar to a chimney lying flat along the sur- 
face of the ground the length of the green- 
house, but turning into a perpendicular chim- 
ney at the end, to carry off the smoke. One 
private greenhouse in this city is arranged in 
that way with the opening for the furnace in 
the coal cellar of the residence, and this way 
keeps all smoke out of the greenhouse proper. 
Large greenhouses are the most profitably 
heated by means of steam, but it requires a 
night fireman. If your residence is heated 
with hot water, it is an easy matter to run a 
few pipes under the benches in the green- 
house to give the heat for the plants, and it is 
sometimes desirable to have one pipe sus- 
pended high in the house near the ridge pole, 
in order to keep the glass free from frost. The 
advantage of hot water heat is that it keeps 
the house more uniform and does not require 
che services of a fireman, during the night. As 
long as there is any fire at all the water will 
circulate in the pipes, while, with steam heat, 
it is necessary to keep the water boiling or the 
pipes will soon cool. By using several valves 



40 HOME FLORICULTURE 

in the pipes, the heat may be thrown at will 
either to the greenhouse or to the residence. 

A "cheap hot water heater suitable for a 
small greenhouse can be constructed in the 
firebox of the furnace used for heating your 
residence, by making a» coil of pipes, or such 
a coil can be made in an ordinary heating 




A HANDSOME CURVILINEAR GREENHOUSE 

Stove, placed in the basement or cellar of the 
house. An expansion tank can be placed at 
the highest point in the greenhouse to allow 
for expansion of the water in heating. A very 
little fire in such a stove will keep the water 
circulating constantly and heat a small build- 
ing. 

Before deciding positively on heating ap- 
paratus, it might be well to write to several 
manufacturers for their catalogs and by con- 
sulting with them you can better learn as to 
the number of pipes necessary to heat the 



HOME FLORICULTURE 41 

greenhouse that you expect to construct, and 
the best manner of placing- them. Any suj;- 
gestions which we might give in a book of this 
character would necessarily be in the line of 
general information. The cost of labor, lum- 
ber and other materials varies so greatly in dif- 
ferent sections of the country that it would be 
impossible for us to try to estimate the cost of 
such private greenhouses. We might say in 
a general way, however, that the cost of con- 
structing a greenhouse of the ordinary width, 
about eighteen feet, amounts to from $7.00 to 
$10.00 per running foot, including the heating 
plant. Of course, it may be constructed at a 
much lower expense, if attached to the resi 
dence, in the lean-to style, that is on the south 
side of a residence, with the glass sloping only 
one way, the highest point being next to the 
house. Such a house can even be heated by 
using registers from a hot air furnace. During 
very cold nights, it might be necessary to cover 
the roof with light wooden shutters, or canvas. 

Such a greenhouse is very cheap, and a great 
variety of plants and flowers can be grown in 
it. You will also find it convenient for start 
ing cabbage, tomato, pepper, egg plants and 
other plants for the kitchen garden, besides 
erowine lettuce, radishes, onions, rhubar!:-. 
mushrooms, etc., for winter use. Grapes and 
strawberries can also be ripened in such a 
house during the winter if you care to give 
space to them. 

By having a private greenhouse you will be 
able to supply the table and living rooms cf 



42 



HOME FLORICULTURE 



the house with plenty of fresh flowers during 
the winter without any necessity of visiting 
the florist. While it is true that nice plants 
can be grown in the window garden, very 
much finer ones can be produced in a green- 
house, where all conditions of temperature, 




A BOWER OF BEAUTY IN THE WINTER 

moisture and light are better suited to their 
perfection and a very much greater variety of 
plants and flowers can be grown. In some 
cases the opening is made direct to the house, 
so that they can be entered from the residence, 
and ladies who are somewhat delicate, greatly 
enjoy the work which is highly beneficial to 
the health. 



m 



HOME FLORICULTURE 43 

WINDOW GARDENING. 

A lady who truly loves flowers and is en- 
thusiastic in their care will succeed with her 
plants and have not only nice, healthy, well- 
shaped specimens, but an abundance of bloom. 
Her flowers are her children and they are prop- 
erly housed, fed and shielded from disease and 
insects which would injure them. A true 
love of plants and flowers combined with a 
clear perception of plant life, its nature and 
requirements, will prove a most trustworthy 
help in the care of house plants. Of all the 
many species of plants, usually cultivated in 
greenhouses, there are few that could not be 
successfully reared, or made to thrive, in an 
ordinary living room. The exercise of good 
judgment in the selection and arrangement of 
house plants, has to be relied upon for the 
attainment of pleasing decorative effects. 

There is always a temptation in the window 
garden to propagate too many plants, and to 
have too many of the same variety. This is 
undesirable. It does not pay to water and care 
for a multitude of plants, which are alike, 
when with the same care you can have a 
greater variety and you will enjoy the window 
better. 

A few well-grown, shapely plants are far 
more desirable than a large number which are 
crowded together in a limited space. Plants 
in a reasonable number add an element of 
brightness to the sitting room, but when you 
make a florist's establishment of it, crowding 



44 HOME FLORICULTURE 

tables, mantel shelves and every available spot 
with flower pots, the homelike appearance is 
gone, and home comfort takes its departure. 

A quarter of a century ago, flower or orna- 
mental plants were kept in almost all homes 
throughout the country and flower lovers dur- 
ing recent years have mourned the loss of their 
plants, as they have been obliged to give up 
their culture, wherever the ordinary illuminat- 
ing gas is used in the rooms. Gas has a very 
injurious eflfect on almost all kinds of plants, 
but Rubber Plants, Sanseveria and English 
Ivy withstand the gas better than flowering 
plants. We are glad to notice that during the 

past few years 
since electric- 
ity has been 
used i^ resi- 
dences, w i n- 
d o w garden- 
ing is again 
becoming pop- 
ular and in 
country towns 
where they 

LANDSCAPE IN A BOWL , <. "^ 

JAPANESE woEK usc lamps tor 

lighting, the culture of plants has never been 
discontinued. 

Success with the window garden is not so 
easy as with the outdoor plants, as they must 
have pure air and some sunlight, or they will 
fade. Success is best secured in a small con- 
servatory or bay window, as the light is better 
distributed. While many use double sash, stillj 




HOME FLORICULTURE 45 

unless these sash are s^wung on hinges, it is 
quite apt to prevent tlie plant securing suf- 
ficient good, pure air. 

A south window is the most desirable expos- 
ure for all plants. The next best window is to 
the east, while a west window is apt to give too 
much heat in the afternoon, and too much 
shade in the morning; but. few flowering plants 
will do well in the north window, but it can 
be used for ferns, palms, rubber plants, san- 
severia, and other foliage plants. English Iv}^ 
will also do fairly well on the north side, and 
most varieties of winter blooming bulbs will 
flower fairly well. 

The dry atmosphere which usually prevails 
in living rooms is bad for the plants, but 
sprinkling them will not only remove the dust, 
but will open the pores of the plant and help 
them to stand the dry air. When grown in the 
open ground, dew is provided for them which 
helps to keep the foliage clean. This they can- 
not have in the house, which makes the sprink- 
ling or syringing of the foliage particularly 
necessary. 

All plants will grow better if the atmosphere 
is not too dry and a little moisture in the air 
will make it much more beneficial for human 
beings. While you may think that it is unwise 
to leave an open dish of water in the window, 
still some of our friends have placed a glass 
dish among the plants where it was hidden by 
the foliage and kept it full of water, which 
evaporates and is beneficial to the plants. Oth- 
ers keep a pan of water on the stove or on the 



46 HOME FLORICULTURE 

Steam radiator in order to make the atmos- 
phere more moist. \\'hat would be better, 
however, and at the same time would give an 
attractiveness to your w^indow, is to provide an 
aquarium or gldbe of gold fish to be placed 
among the plants. Not only will the move- 
ments of the fish be attractive, but the evap- 
oration constantly going on will purify and 
moisten the air. 

Some persons are in the habit of using ma- 
nure water on their plants, but as a rule this 
is objectionable, owing to the offensive small, 
to its causing a gro\yth of fungus plants or 
mold and to its tendency to make the soil in 
the pots become sour. There are many good 
varieties of commercial plant foods, sold by 
seedsmen and florists, which are far superior 
and more desirable in every way, and if your 
plants are growing so rapidly as to exhaust the 
nourishment in the soil, it is best to feed them 
by using some of these preparations. 

If your plants look weak and straggly, it is 
quite probable that they have either been 
"drawn," by being kept too far away from the 
light, or they have had too much heat, and not 
sufficient fresh air. A temperature of about 
70 degrees in the daytime and 55 degrees to 60 
degrees at night is about right for most house 
plants. 

Showering frequently helps to keep the fol- 
iage clean, and the plants seem to enjoy it, tak- 
ing on a brighter look and fresher, more vig- 
orous growth. Do not water your plants too 
frequently ; give them water only when they 



HOME FLORICULTURE 47 

appear to need it, that is, when the soil is dry, 
and then water thoroughly so as to saturate the 
soil way down to the bottom of the pot. Some 
plants which are growing vigorously and be- 
coming potbound, may need water twice a day, 
while others, of slow growth or in overly large 
pots, will do better if only watered once or 
twice a week, and Cactus, Aloes and Century 
Plants rarely need any water unless in bloom. 

While it is advisable to have saucers under 
the pot to prevent drainage going onto the 
floor, still it is a very bad plan to keep these 
saucers filled with water, as the soil absorbs 
it, the roots of the plants become saturated 
and without knowing it you may actually be 
drowning your plant. More plants are injured 
by overwatering than by underwatering. 
Under such conditions the soil is al"so liable to 
become sour, and no plant will grow well in 
sour soil. If you have any plant which is now 
in that condition, it is best to take it out of the 
pot, remove the old soil, and repot in light, 
well-mixed earth. 

Stirring the soil at least once a week in the 
pots will permit the air to penetrate to the 
roots, will keep the weeds from getting a start, 
and encourage more vigorous growth of the 
plant. Pick ofif all fading flowers and dead 
leaves as soon as they appear. Most plants 
will do better if they are turned once or twice 
a week, so as to receive the light from all sides, 
and prevent tlieir becoming drawn. 

In order to be successful in growing plants 
in the window garden, it is of the first impor- 



48 HOME FLORICULTURE 

tance to start with plants that are perfectly 
healthy and in good growing condition. While 
plants which have been grown in the open 
ground can be lifted in the fall and put into 
pots or window boxes, still as a rule you will 
have better success to either purchase good, 
thrifty plants from some florist or take cut- 
tings from your outdoor plants during the 
summer, root them in sand or soil, directions 
for doing which will be found in another part 
of this book, and then they will be in good, 
healthy, vigorous condition for winter use. 

Practically all greenhouse plants can be 
successfully grown in the window garden, but 
the following are particularly desirable : Ge- 
ranium, Pelargonium, Carnation, Cyclamen, 
Fuchsia, Primrose, Calla, Abutilon, Heliotrope, 
Bouvardia, Begonia, Cineraria, Poinsettia,. 
Mignonette, Sweet Alyssum, Roses, Lantana, 
Lemon Verbena, Ferns and Asparagus. 

Geraniums will do well in living rooms at 
all seasons, and are the least expensive, most 
reliable and most easily managed plants, 
therefore especially desirable. Some varieties 
of Fuchsias are excellent winter bloomers, 
especially the Speciosa. They require rich 
soil, plenty of water and some sunshine. They 
are quite apt to be troubled with red spider, 
and mealy bug, therefore syringe them fre- 
quently on both sides of the foliage. Every- 
one will want some Begonias in the window 
garden. The foliage is beautiful even when 
the plants are not in bloom. The Abutilon is 
another excellent plant and can be grown in 



HOME FLORICULTURE 49 

tree form like an Oleander, if desired, and set 
out in the open ground during the summer. 
As it is apt to grow somewhat straggling, it is 
well to keep it trimmed up in good shape. 
Impatiens Sultana is another one of our best 
winter bloomers. There are several good va- 
rieties and they will help brighten up a window 
garden. It is a little particular, however, and 
prefers a rather cool temperature and rich, fine 
loam. 




A PLEASANT ROOM IN THE WINTER 

In speaking of house plants, many people 
refer onlv to Cieraniums, Fuchsias and other 
greenhouse plants, but there are many of the 
garden annuals which will do well with house 



50 HOME FLORICULTURE 

culture, but most of them give better results, if 
grown from cuttings, instead of from seed. It 
is an easy matter to make these cuttings dur- 
ing the summer, and propagate only the plants 
of most desirable color of flowers or foliage or 
of the best habit of growth. One of the best 
for this purpose is the common Antirrhinum, 
or Snap Dragon. It is easily grown, and a 
splendid winter bloomer, producing flowers 
constantly throughout the winter. The Pe- 
tunia also gives great satisfaction, and you will 
find that the single Petunia grows more ram- 
pantly and produces more flow^ers than the 
double varieties. It requires, however, a sunny 
window, and good, rich soil, and looks well 
when trained up on a trellis. Sw^eet Alyssum 
and Mignonette produce lots of flowers and 
add a pleasant fragrance. Ageratum, Brow^- 
allia and Ten Weeks Stocks give good results, 
as do also either the Dwarf or Climbing Nas- 
turtium. You can propagate all of these plants 
readily and will be surprised at the results ob- 
tained. The Bouvardia is one of the very best 
winter bloomers, but is somewhat more diffi- 
cult to propagate. We have always had the 
best success m propagating from root cuttings. 

Even a box of Portulaca if given sandy soil 
and not too much water, will make a brilliant 
ornament. Pansies and English Daisies are 
alwa3\s handsome, but there are no plants on 
which the aphis or plant lice seem to propa- 
gate more freely and unless carefully watched, 
they may be badly injured by the insects be- 
fore you realize it. The Dianthus Pinks will 



HOME FLORICUIyTURE 51 

flower well in the house, but the Carnations 
are so far superior to them, that they are 
scarcely worth the space. Of course, you must 
have some Sensitive Plants to please the chil- 
dren, and they are about as attractive to the 
older ones, who love to study their wonderful 
actions. As a tropical appearing plant, the 
Canna makes a good showing. Its large, broad 
leaves make a nice background for the ordi- 
nary house plants. 

In climbing or trailing plants, you will, of 
course, want Manettia, Kenilworth Ivy, Maur- 
andia, Saxafraga, Ivy Geraniums, Vinca, Pas- 
sion Flower and Trailing Nasturtiums. 

Another good vine for the window garden is 
the Coboea Scandens ; it grows rapidly, blooms 
freely in the house, as well as in the open 
ground. The Bougainvillea is also an excel- 
lent shrubby climber, producing a multitude of 
flowers during the winter and spring. 

Both the English and German Ivy are excel- 
lent plants for the window garden. The Eng- 
lish is a slow grower, and is quite apt to be 
affected by scale insects, and therefore the 
plant should be watched carefully and the 
leaves sponged off occasionally. This will not 
only keep them free from insects, but free from 
dust, and they grow much better. Madeira 
Vine is also an excellent window climber and 
Tradescantia, Ivy Leaved Geraniums, and 
Vincas are excellent trailers. Some people 
succeed well with Smilax in the house, but 
with us it has proven to be quite delicate, as 
it must have a moist atmosphere to grow sat- 



52 



HOME FLORICULTURE 



isfactorily. On the other hand, Asparagus 
Plumosus will stand the dry atmosphere well 
and furnish an abundance of delicate, feathery, 
bright green foliage, and there is nothing 
which looks more handsome when trained over 
the lace curtains. 

We would also most highly recommend the 
winter blooming bulbs, such as Hyacinths, 
Tulips, Narcissus, Freesias, etc., which can be 
grown in a cool temperature and will stand a 
great amount of misuse. When a climbing 
plant is desired for shady location, we can rec- 
ommend the Solanum Jasminoides ; it seems to 
stand the shade well, climbs rapidly, and bears 
numerous large clusters of handsome flowers, 
does well even in the north windows. The 

waterproof paper 

(^WLM IL^UNL^^ ^o\xev pot covers 

^^^^iSS^lm^ which are sold by 

*'"^ ' '^- ■ - ^^ many florists and 

seedsmen, are quite 
showy and useful for 
concealing the plain 
or unsightly pots. 
Ladies can make 
Q"^=^^^^^^^^g^>^s' them for their own 
^f2ftliflfe-Jlli>%fe/^ use out of ordinary 
crepe pSper tied with 
a ribbon, and they 
are quite handsome until they get wet. 

"What can I grow successfully in the north 
window?" is a common question. Ferns are 
the most desirable class of plants, but Rubber 
Plants, Sanseveria and Palms do well, and if 




PAPER FLOWER POT COVER 



HOME FLORICULTURE 53 

the window is so arranged that they get a lit- 
tle early morning or late afternoon sunshine, 
Callas, Fuchsias, the Orange and Lemon 
Trees, Vincas and Cyperus also give good sat- 
isfaction. 

HANGING BASKETS AND VASES. 

A nicely filled hanging basket adds greatly 
to the attractiveness of any window garden, 
and to the appearance of the porch during the 
summer. They are made of various materials, 
the ordinary baskets being of pottery ware 
constructed in a great variety of ornamental 
forms. Quite attractive baskets are also made 
in rustic style by covering the outside of the 
wooden bowl with various shapes of roots, but 
there are probably more of the wire hanging 
(baskets used during recent years, than any 
other kind. They have the ad\ antage of being 
very light in weight. In filling them it is cus- 
tomary to line with moss, which may be green 
moss from the woods if preferred, but usually 
the ordinary brown sphagnum moss is used, 
the object being simply to keep the soil from 
washing out. After lining, the receptacle can 
be filled with soil, placing a handful of char- 
coal, potsherds or gravel in the bottom for 
drainage. One advantage of the wire hanging- 
basket is that ferns and some other plants will 
send their runners through this material and 
small plants will be formed around the 'out- 
side of the basket which add considerably to 
its attractiveness. 

There are numerous varieties of plants suit- 
able for growing for a hanging basket. Among 



54 HOME FLORICULTURE 

the upright growing sorts we will mention 
small sized Palms, Dracaenas, Geraniums, Be- 
gonias, Swainsonia and Hydrangeas. For 
small plants to surround the same, Rex Be- 
gonias, Small Leaved Begonias, Azaleas, Cen- 
taurea Gymnocarpa, Peperomia, Lobelia, Ice 
plant, Fancy Ferns, Ageratums, and varie- 
gated grasses. 

The hanging basket always looks better if 
some trailing vines are planted around the 
edges and some climbers to twine up the wires 
with which the basket is suspended. Almost 
any of the small vines give good satisfaction, 
provided the basket is not allowed to dry out ; 
most prominent among the desirable sorts are 
the Vinca, Kenilworth Ivy, Maurandia, Ger- 
man Ivy, Glechoma, Saxifraga, Tradescantia, 
Othonna, Ivy Leaved Geranium, and Cissus 
Discolor. 

A small basket containing a large, well- 
branched plant of the Christmas Cactus 
(Epiphyllum truncatum) will be very showy 
when in full bloom at the holiday season. We 
have frequently found it beneficial to cover the 
surface of the soil will moss to prevent too 
rapid evaporation, and drying out of the soil. 
It is an error to crov/d too many plants into 
the basket, as they are apt to become stunted 
and sickly. 

* Do not let your basket sufifer from neglect, 
it being particularly necessary to water it fre- 
quently, as it is exposed to the air on all sides, 
and therefore dries out much more quickly 
than plants growing in pots. 



HOME FLORICULTURE 55 

The same care is necessary for vases and 
the same plants are suitable for them, except 
that as they are larger and hold a much greater 
quantity of soil you can use larger growing 
plants for the center and even such massive- 
leaved, tropical-appearing plants as the dwarf 
varieties of Cannas will look well. We con- 
sider the iron reservoir vases the most desir- 
able for general use. The top part or earth 
receiver has a tube in the bottom extending 
down into the water reservoir, which is packed 
with moss or sponges, through which the water 
is drawn up by capillary attraction, so that the 
roots of the plants always have sufficient mois- 
ture and are never overwatered. The reservoir 
does not require refilling oftener than once in 
ten days or two weeks unless the weather is 
extremely hot and dry. 

Window Boxes. — ^There is nothing which 
will add more to the attractiveness of the win- 
dow garden in the winter, than a window box 
filled with nice, well-arranged plants, with 
vines growing over the edges. The main ob- 
jection to having such a box is that the cool 
draft coming down by the window is rather 
hard on the plants. If, however, you have 
storm windows on the house, so that there is 
a double thickness of the glass, you will not 
be bothered in that way. 

Many ladies prefer to grow their plants in 
window boxes, instead of keeping them in pots. 
The ordinary window box is made about six 
to eight inches high and of width and length 
to fit the window. Cleats should be placed 



56 HOME FLORICULTURE 

under the box to hold it up from the window 
sill and thus prevent injury to the woodwork 
of the window and also allow free circulation 
of air underneath the box. Cover the bottom 
of the box with a layer of charcoal about one 
inch deep, and then fill in the dirt. This char- 
coal will give drainage without permitting 
water to run through it. Many are construct- 




ARRANGEMENT OF PORCH BOXES 

ing their window boxes of galvanized iron and 
making them double, the inside box holding 
the soil, having several holes through the bot- 
tom to give drainage into the outside cover. 
The outside box should be one inch deeper 
with strips of wood across the bottom, so as to 
support the lining and allow for drainage. 



HOME FLORICULTURE &? 

It is an easy matter to arrange a trellis or 
arch over such a window box, by taking two 
long pieces of quarter-inch iron rod, bend them 
into the shape of an arch so that the ends will 
o-o down into the corner of the box and weave 
a smaller wire back and forth between the two. 
No vine is so desirable for such a box as the 
Coboea Scandens, which yields an abundance 
of bright flowers throughout the season and 
it is always well to have some bright, orna- 
mental-leaved plants to give brilliancy to the 
box, even when you have no flowers m bloom. 
The Maiden's Hair Fern or some other small- 
leaved variety of Fern or the Asparagus Plu- 
mosus or Asparagus Sprengeri, will help give 
an airy, light appearance to the foliage m your 
window box. A small wire hanging basket or 
handng basket made from a cocoanut shell or 
a seashell suspended by wires, filled with some 
small plants may be suspended from the arch 
over your window box, and makes a pretty 
ornament. 

During the past few years, outdoor window 
boxes and porch boxes have been largely used. 
In some of the flats and downtown brick or 
stone buildings, many of these are to be seen, 
and they greatly improve the appearance of the 
building with their bright flowers and beauti- 
ful vines festooned from the boxes. While 
most of these boxes are painted green, black 
or gray they look much nicer if covered with 
bark, which can be easily tacked to the wood- 
work. In painting the box, it is well to remem- 
ber that while green is one of the most popu- 



58 HOME FLORICULTURE 

lar colors, still the vines and plants will not 
show up in a green box as well as in one 
painted some other color. If made of the right 
size and properly planned, such a box can be 
removed to the house for the winter, and will 
continue to look well, although it may be nec- 
essary to prune some of the plants and vines in 
removing them to the house. 

Frosted Plants. — In growing plants in the 
house avoid if possible any sudden changes in 
temperature, as frequently a sudden chill will 
injure a plant, although it may not be actually 
frozen. Very cold nights it is best to move 
the plant stand back from the window or pro- 
tect from drafts of cold air by lowering the 
curtains and protecting by putting several 
thicknesses of newspapers between the plants 
and the window. Plants on or near the floor 
are apt to sufifer the most. W^hen plants are 
actually frozen they should be thawed out 
very slowly in a cool, dark room. Geraniums 
will sometimes stand quite hard freezing if 
treated in this way. In the fall when the first 
frost comes the bedding plants may frequent- 
ly be saved and continue to bloom for possibly 
several weeks until a harder freeze by show- 
ering them early in the morning with cold 
water just slightly above the freezing point. 
This draws the frost out of the leaves. 



HOME FLORICULTURE 



59 



THE FLOWER GARDEN. 



*And this oiir life, exempt from public haunt, 
Finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks. 
Sermons in stoties, and good in everything." 

To secure the greatest possible pleasure 
from your flowers you should study the char- 
acteristics of each kind selected and give it 
such a place in the garden as is best adapted 
to its habit of growth. If your flower beds are 
to be in the front yard or in a place where the 
public will see them, plan to make them a part 
of a landscape picture. It is seldom advisable 

to make flower 
beds in the cen- 
ter of a lawn ; 
better leave a 
broad, open 
stretch of grass 
and m.ake your 
plantings along 
the borders or 
at the back of 
the lawn, and 
they look bet- 
ter i£ planted in 
masses with the 
taller varieties 
at the back. 
Study the color 
eflfects before 
planting, so as to be sure that they will har- 
monize. For best results remember that some 
plants require partial shade, while others lux- 
uriate in the full sunshine. Refer to the chap- 




60 HOME FLORICULTURE 

ter on Landscape Gardening. Label all plants 
both indoors and out, being sure that you have 
the name right, then try to familiarize your- 
self not only with their names, but also their 
character and habits, and your enjoyment will 
then be doubled. 

In locating your flower garden, arrange to 
have at least part of it to one side or back of 
the house near the sitting room and kitchen, so 
that those employed in the housework can en- 
joy the beauty and fragrance while attending 
to their household duties. You will appreciate 
the flowers better if you keep them near you 
and where you can enjoy their beauty. 

In preparing a flower bed see that'the ground 
is well drained, that the land is rich and in a 
mellow and friable condition. Each fall it 
should have a mulch of rotted manure or leaf 
mould, which must be spaded under deeply in 
the spring. Make the bed broad so that the 
grass roots from each side will not go beneath 
the flowers and rob them of the moisture. 

Almost all of our common garden annuals 
will look well in the flower garden if well ar- 
ranged and well grown. Asters, Phlox, Dian- 
thus, Petunias, Antirrhinum, Nasturtium, Pop- 
pies, Pansies and Verbenas are the most large- 
ly grown. Of the tall growing annuals the 
Cosmos, double Sunflower, Nicotiana, Holly- 
hock, Ricinus and Cleome are among the most 
popular. The better way to plant these is 
among scattered shrubber)' or beside fences, 
although they can be used in beds. 

Of course, everyone wants some of the so- 



HOME FLORICULTURE 61 

called greenhouse plants and nothing will ever 
supersede Geraniums, Salvia, Heliotrope, 
Lantana, Tulberous Begonias and Roses. The 
summer blooming bulbs, Cannas, Dahlias, Gla- 
diolus, Tuberose, etc., should be given a place. 

Carpet Bedding. — While it is true that car- 
pet bedding is now used mostly in public 
parks, as it requires continuous attention to 
keep it in trim order, and make it look well, 
still possibly there is no public park in your 
town, or you live at some distance from it, and 
desire to do what you can to make your home 
place look attractive. A mass of the flowers 
so arranged as to display a sheet of bright 
color commands admiration. While it is true 
that the lover of nature can see more to in- 
terest him in a single well-developed plant, 
than in a mass of b^oom, still the majority of 
people think they have not time to study the 
separate plants, and they enjoy seeing the mass 
of colors artistically arranged. What is called 
carpet bedding is composed of low growing 
plants, or plants which can be kept trimmed 
down to a low, even height, and arranged into 
various fancy designs, stars, crescents, hearts, 
etc., and possibly one design within another, 
and all planted in such a way as to make a 
liarmony of color. Plants which are desirable 
for carpet bedding are Alternanthera, Blue Lo- 
belia, Achyranthes, Centaurea gymnocarpa,, 
variegated leaf Geraniums, Verbenas, Sweet 
Alyssum, Phlox Drummondi, Blue Heliotrope, 
variegated leaved Stevia, etc. 

If you have a good sized home place, to 



62 HOME FLORICULTURE 

which you have given some distinctive name, 
you may wish to have that name lettered in 
flowers on the lawn. Such a lettering is read- 
ily made by the use of many kinds of low- 
growing plants. The Echeveria is frequently 
used for this purpose, as it never grows tall 
and always retains its color. Ornamental 
foliage plants such as Coleus, Centaurea, Alte- 
manthera, Cineraria, variegated Stevia and 
Santolina, or other variegated leaved plants, 
can be used, but they must be kept trimmed 
down even. This can be done either with a 
sharp shears, or what is better, use the fingers 
to pinch out the center shoots. The Madam 
Saleroi Geranium is also a good plant for this 
purpose. If you wish a flowering plant, the 
Ageratum, Blue Lobelia or Sweet Alyssum 
may be used with good effect. 

If you have not plenty of time to cultivate 
thoroughly throughout the season, we would 
advise against attempting to plant your flower 
beds in any intricate design, as even the best 
design if not well executed, will fail to make 
a good showing. 

The Wild Garden. — Persons who have large 
grounds sometimes become tired of the formal 
style of gardening and for variety it makes an 
attraction to have, what is frequently called, a 
wild garden. This is readily obtained by se- 
curing what is called "Wild Garden Seeds," 
which. can be obtained from almost any seed 
store. They are not literally seeds of wild 
flowers, but are a mixture of a great many 
ordinary varieties of flower seeds, and there is 
much pleasure in watching the growth of un- 



HOME FLORICULTURE 63 

known plants and seeing them develop and 
produce blooms which are unusual or strange. 
Such a garden is of especial interest to anyone 
who is making a study of botany, as they will 
enjoy identifying and naming the various 
kinds. In some places the proprietors of sum- 
mer resorts have sown this wild flower seed 
through the woods and in odd spots around the 
grounds, so that the visitors and patrons might 
have the pleasure of picking what they sup- 
pose to be unusual wild flowers. A well-filled 
wild flower garden will afford a great amount 
of pleasure and is well worth trying. 

If the ladies only knew how much health 
and enjoyment they would secure from an hour 
or so each day spent in the garden, breathing 
the pure air and securing a sunbath while at 
work with their plants, I am sure everyone 
would be interested. Now you may think that 
I am digressing, but I want to say that if there 
is any one thing more beautiful than another, 
in a garden of flowers, that thing is a beautiful 
girl, with a sunbonnet on her head so capacious 
that you have to get right square before her, 
and pretty near to her, to see the glowing 
cheeks that are sure to be there if she is at all 
accustomed to garden work and walks. There 
can be nothing better for the health than to 
take sole charge of a small flower garden. The 
benefits derived from early rising, stirring the 
soil and breathing the pure morning air are 
shown in freshness and glow of cheek, bright- 
ness of eye, cheerfulness, vigor of mind and 
purity of character. The care and attention 



64 HOME FLORICULTURE 

required for the growing- plants occupies the 
mind, to the exclusion, oftentimes, of frivol- 
ousness or waste of time. 



HARDY PERENNIALS. 

During the past few years the hardy herba- 
ceous perennials have again become very pop- 
ular and many persons consider them the most 
satisfactory of all flowers. They are of easy 
culture, thrive in almost any good garden soil, 
and grow in size and beauty year after year. 
People are now learning that they require less 
care and. are more satisfactory with ordinary 
culture than any other class of plants. With 
these you can have a true "Nature's Garden" 
and when once planted, they are always to be 
depended on. 

The plants may be divided and set out when- 
ever they are dormant, either in the fall or 
early spring. This may be done at any time 
after the first hard frost, which destroys the 
garden's beauty. You will then want to clear 
up the rubbish, remove the dead plants and 
damaged foliage, so as to restore your garden 
to good condition, and have it look shipshape 
for the winter months. If hardy perennials 
are set out early in the fall, they will make 
considerable root growth in the fall, and very 
early in the spring, and are better prepared to 
produce a vigorous growth next season^ as 
well as abundant flowers. 

After a plant has been allowed to grow in 
the same spot for several years, it becomes 



HOME FLORICULTURE 65 

crowded, the roots grow old and possibly the 
soil around the plant becomes hard and sterile. 
It is therefore a good plan to dig up all the 
plants at least once in three to five years, being 
careful to preserve as much of the soil as will 
cling to the roots. Dig the bed up deeply, re- 
moving as much soil as appears to be neces- 
sary and putting in rich compost or well- 
rotted cow manure and thoroughly mixing it 
in. This may be done either in spring or fall 
and such roots as are overgrown- should be 
divided and replanted a trifle deeper than be- 
fore. In replanting consider carefully the re- 
arrangement, placing the taller sorts in the 
background and grouping them artistically 
with the lower growing sorts in front. Plan 
also the associations of the various kinds as to 
foliage and color of flowers, so that all will 
harmonize. It is well also to consider the time 
of flowering, so as to secure a succession of 
bloom. Overcrowding of plants is a mistake. 
Consider well the size that your plants will 
attain when at their best, and give them plenty 
of room to grow. If plants are huddled closely 
together, they not only will- not receive proper 
care, but they do not secure the sunlight and 
nourishment which they require. 

Have you ever thought that almost always 
in nature, the wild flowers grow in groups or 
masses? This is a good point to copy in plant- 
ing your home garden ; instead of long rows of 
one variety, plant in clumps and you will find 
that it will give a glowing mass of color, sim- 
ilar to that seen when we wander in the woods 



66 HOME FLORICULTURE 

and come across a clump of native flowers. 
Most of the perennials will do better if not 
given too much cultivation. Do not kill the 
plant with kindness, but simply keep out the 
weeds. 

Many of our most satisfactory plants belong 
to this class and we would not like to do with- 
out the Perennial Phlox, Garden Pinks, Fox- 
glove, Lemon Lilies, Paeonies and other fa- 
vorites. 

Most of the hardy perennials are readily 
grown from seed and you can secure a large 
collection of them in this way at a much lower 
cost than by purchasing the roots. Some 
roots such as Gaillardia, Iceland Poppies, 
Pinks and Delphinium will bloom the first year, 
if the seed is started in January or February 
in the house. Most varieties will do much 
better, however, by starting the seed in an out- 
door bed in July or August, transplanting them 
about the middle of September to their per- 
manent place or to a bed in the garden where 
you can protect them during the winter with 
a light^mulching and be ready to set them out 
in the spring when conditions may be more 
favorable. In setting them out be sure and dig 
the holes large and deep, have the soil loose 
and rich and spread out the roots carefully so 
that they will at once take hold of the soil. 

When you receive a shipment of plants from 
a florist or nurseryman always unpack under 
cover or in a shady place, where the sun and 
wind will not strike the roots to dry them out. 
If the roots seem dry, soak in tepid water, and 



HOME FLORICULTURE 67 

should any of them be mashed or broken, cut 
them off just above the break with a sharp 
knife. Set the plants out about the same depth 
they were before, working the soil well around 
the roots, but do not let the roots come in 
direct contact with manure. If it is a large 
plant or shrub, fill the soil in around the plant 
so that the roots are covered and pour in water 
to settle the soil around them. Afterwards fin- 
ish filling the hole with soil and press firmly 
around the plant. 



HARDY SHRUBS. 

There is nothing which so quickly, and for 
so little cost, adds so much to the beauty, 
cheerfulness and homelike appearance of a 
place as an assortment of hardy shrubs. They 
are permanent improvements which increase 
in size, value and beauty year after year. 

Many of them are as decorative as any orna- 
mental foliage plant, while others are highly 
useful as cut flowers, and a well-arranged 
planting presents an attractive appearance 
throughout the entire year. Shrubs are indis- 
pensable on any grounds and by setting out an 
assortment of them they will grow rapidly in 
size and add to the value of the place. They 
can be used in any situation — as a border to 
the walks and drives, as a screen for the side 
fences and around the house and porch. 

In planting, be careful not to overcrowd, but 
allow sufficient room for future development, 
and unless an immediate effect is wanted — in 



68 HOME FLORICULTURE 

which case they may be planted closer and 
some of them moved when necessary — the ma- 
jority of the dwarf-growing kinds may be set 
two to three feet apart, the tall, strong grow- 
ers about five feet apart. Most varieties of 
shrubs may be safely transplanted in the fall, 
but we prefer to set them out early in the 
spring, as soon as the frost is out and the 
ground in workable condition. This gives them 
a chance to make some root growth before hot 
weather comes. 

In order to make shapely specimens, shrubs 
should be pruned once a year and while they 
may be pruned during the winter we usually 
like summer pruning. This consists mainly of 
pinching off the ends of growing shoots, to 
regulate their growth. When an end is pinched 
off the side buds push forth and so instead of 
one long shoot there are a half dozen stockier 
ones, and a bushy plant instead of a thin- 
branched one. The early flowering sorts 
should not be pruned in this way until their 
blooming season is past. On old shrubs it is a 
good plan to trim out the very old branches, as 
the younger stems which come up from the 
root not only grow more vigorously, but bloom 
better. The plant will also do better if suffi- 
cient of the surplus growth is removed to al- 
low free circulation of the air and sunshine. 

The artistic planting of shrubs either in 
groups or as specimen plants adds greatly to 
the beauty and attractiveness of any place and 
to be beautiful they must be not only properly 
placed, but well grown. 



HOME FLORICULTURE 69 

Ornamental Fruited Shrubs. — When our 
summer flowering plants have all succumbed 
to Jack Frost and their leaves are scattered 
over the ground, the scenery indeed looks dull 
and what should we do without the evergreen 
trees, and some of the hardy shrubs which 
bear ornamental fruits? ' The well-known 
Snowberry and Coralberry, which both belong 
to the Symphoricarpus family, are well-known 
sorts. The last named being a wild plant on 
our western prairies, often called Buck Brush. 
Various varieties of Barberry also have bright 
orange red berries. The Euonymus and 
American Holly are attractive wherever the 
climate is not too severe for them to grow, 
and the large red hips of the Rosa Rugosa 
gives a pleasing effect. The climbing Bitter- 
sweet with its red berries showing through 
their bright yellow covering adds an attraction 
to the bare branches of the trees on which it 
climbs. 



ORNAMENTAL VINES, 

Nothing adds more to the homelike appear- 
ance of a place than to have a pleasant shade 
of vines over the porches and climbers on the 
trees, arbors and fences and to screen outbuild- 
ings or unsightly places. In making a home, 
plan for future beauty, comfort and happiness, 
by planting a variety of ornamental vines. 
They are not only beautiful in themselves, but 
they shield the sharp corners made in the 
house by the architect and add to its attractive- 



70 HOME FLORICULTURE 

ness by their charming foliage and abundance 
of flowers. A porch is an ideal place for train- 
ing them, and as they twine around the posts 
and climb higher and higher, you will have the 
bare lines of the roof relieved by their festoons 
of verdure ; the piazza rail will be lost to view, 
and the open spaces will make a frame for the 
contented family group sitting on the porch. 

If your building is brick or stone, we would 
strongly recommend the Ampelopsis Veitchii 
or Boston Ivy. It clings to the wall and soon 
covers it with a beautiful blanket of green 
which in the fall is made still more attractive 
by the brilliant red and yellow tints. AVindow 
boxes around the house and porch may be filled 
with a variety of flowering plants with droop- 
ing vines festooning themselves gracefully 
down to the ground. 

If you plant climbing roses or hardy peren- 
nial vines they make permanent improve- 
ments, adding greatly to the value of any 
property, and the value grows from year to 
year as the plants increase in size and beauty^ 
so that instead of an expense they should be 
considered a paying investment. 

It is the nature of most vines to twine around 
trees, shrubs, or other tall growing plants. 
They are, therefore, usually adapted to grow- 
ing in the shade. In fact, the word "vine" is 
suggestive of a shady corner, which makes a 
pleasant spot in which to rest, and they have 
been highly regarded by human beings from 
the very earliest history. While it is true that 
most vines will grow in the shade, still the 



HOME FLORICULTURE 71 

liowers are not as brilliant as they will be if 
they have a fair amount of sunshine. 

The objection is sometimes made to vines 
climbing over houses or verandas, on the 
o-round that they make the house damp, but 
this is not so. They are more apt to protect 
the house from dampness. Again it is claimed 
that they shut out the sunlight, but there is lit- 
tle excuse for that complaint as vines are under 
absolute control, and can be so arranged as to 
allow free access of light through every 
window. 

The only objection to Ampelopsis Veitchii 
or Boston Ivy, is that it sometimes freezes 
out in this cold latitude. This is more apt to 
be the case the first winter than thereafter. 
The Ampelopsis Englemanii is another good 
plant, perfectly hardy, clinging well to brick or 
stone, and the foliage is of beautiful bright col- 
or in the fall. The variegated Ampelopsis has 
green leaves, handsomely variegated with 
broad bands of white, and the young leaves 
and stems are pink, thus giving it u very fine 
appearance. 

The Wistaria shown in the accompanying 
illustration is one of the hardiest of vines, 
growing rapidly to a height of forty to fifty 
feet and when in bloom its flowers make a 
grand showing. The various kinds of Clematis 
and Honeysuckle are very popular and hardy 
and don't forget the climbing roses. There are 
also many good annual climbers readily grown 
from seed and it might be of interest to you to 



72 



HOME FLORICULTURE 



look them up in the classified list in another 
part of this book. 

If you are 
planting vines 
around a porch 
or foundation of 
a house remem- 
ber that the soil 
is apt to be 
clayey, hard, 
and such soil is 
as unfit for any 
plants to grow 
in as shifty 
sand. Therefore 
before setting 
out any plant in 
such a place dig- 
out the soil 
deeply and re- 
place with loam 
as most vines 
are gross feed- 
ers and require 
fertility. The 
ground should 
be well drained or sloped away from the house, 
as many plants are killed by allowing water to 
stand around the roots. On the other hand, if 
the house has a very wide cornice it may shel- 
ter the plants so as to keep off all rain and 
they will require watering frequently. 

The ordinary poultry netting is frequently 
used for trellising Sweet Peas and other low 




WISTARIA 



HOME FLORICULTURE 



73 



climbers or special trellises may be prepared in 
various shapes to suit tbe location. Try and 
have something different from the ordinary if 
possible. 




A very attractive trellis, shown by the above 
illustration, was constructed by "Sister Grac- 
ious," a well-known floral writer. Strings 
were Stretched from one tree to another, and 
by using heavy cords it was made to look like 
an immense spider web. An Ivy, which was 
growing beside the tree, was trained over this 
cobweb. It was a decided success and attract- 
ed more attention than anything in the neigh- 
borhood. 

Vines for the House. — -For those who desire 
an attractive climber for the window garden 
we can recommend the Japanese Climbing 
Fern or Lygodium Scandens. It can be grown 



74 HOME FLORICULTURE 

even in a 'north window, and does well with 
little sunshine. Th^ English Ivy also will 
stand the same kind of treatment and its dark, 
rich, leathery foliage makes an attractive con- 
trast to the small, fernlike foliage of the Ly- 
godium. Madeira Vines are as nice climbers 
for the window as they are for the porch and 
it is a good plan when frost comes to dig a few 
of the roots, cut the vine off near the base, and 
let them start up again in the house. The 
Coboea Scandens is an old favorite, bearing 
large, healthy appearing foliage, and handsome 
bell-shaped flowers. It is a rampant grower 
and usually quite satisfactory; even the com- 
mon Sweet Potato makes a nice climber for 
the window. Some years ago the writer saw 
a handsome climbing plant in the window 
which he did not identify at once, but closer 
observation showed that it was simply a large 
sweet potato which had been hollowed out, so 
as to hold water, and it was upheld by cords 
like a hanging basket. As a rule, however, it 
would be better to use a small sweet potato 
and put it in a flower pot. Such unusual nov- 
elties add to the interest in the window garden. 



HOME FLORICULTURE. 75 

ROCKERIES. 

The beauty and attractiveness of a rockery 
is largely due to the sense of wildness or con- 
trast with other portions of the grounds, and it 
is therefore best to have it in some secluded 
spot, so that it will have the charm of natural- 
ness. If close to some old tree, it gives pic- 




turesqueness to the rockery, but whatever you 
do, do not attempt to build it up as one would 
a wall with mathematical precision, as the very 
fact that it is rugged and different from its sur- 
roundings makes it attractive. 

While in some places rockeries look decided- 



76 • HOME FLORICULTURE 

\y unsuitable, and out of place, still on most 
home grounds some spot can be found where 
it will be decidedly decorative. Perhaps it is 
the open lawn, possibly in a corner, or to one 
side, but try and make it harmonize with the 
grounds if possible. Pile the rocks up in such 
a way as to make receptacles for plants. We 
have even seen rockeries formed of clinkers 
from a furnace which were arranged so artisti- 
cally in fantastic shapes as to be really most 
showy and attractive. 

Avoid systematic arrangement. Perhaps 
you can obtain some wild plants from the 
woods which have a natural delicacy or beauty. 
It will make your rockery look less conven- 
tional, by imitating natural conditions. The 
use of vines softens the rugged outlines of the 
rocks, and creeping plants, ferns and moss 
should harmonize well with the surroundings. 
If there is a natural embankment on any part 
of your place, why not pile the rocks up 
against it, tumbling them together without 
special arrangement, so as to make them look 
like part of the bank? 

Many kinds of plants are suitable for grow- 
ing in such places. If bright colors are wanted 
use Scarlet Geraniums, Verbenas, Azaleas, Lo- 
belias and. Coleus, with Achilleas, Sedums, 
Candytuft, Pansies and of course some creep- 
ing vines such as Saxafraga, Vinca, Wander- 
ing Jew, and Ivy. Amongst the plants which 
seem well a'dapted for growing in rocks, are 
the fancy leaved Geraniums, Eulalia zebrina, 
Lobelia, Portulaca, Marguerites and Myosotis, 



HOME FLORICULTURE 77 

which may be interspersed with some vines 
such as the ordinary Hardy Myrtle, Variegated 
Moneywort, Nasturtium and Thunbergias. If 
your rockery is in a place where it has plenty 
of moisture, try also Caladiums, Callas, Ferns, 
etc. If you can arrange your rockery in a 
partially shaded spot where the soil will not 
dry out too badly, you will probably have bet- 
ter success. Many of the wild plants can be 
brought in from the fields and woods, which 
will look nice in the rockery, fully as well per- 
haps as those which you would buy of florists. 

Would it not look well to make the rockery 
a center for a so-called "Wild Garden," in 
which the plants are set out or the seeds sown 
in an apparently careless, unsystematic man- 
ner? There are a great variety of flower plants 
which blend themselves well with such a natu- 
ral arrangement, for instance. Mignonette, Ice 
Plant, Godetia, Clarkia, Sweet Alyssum, 
Abronia, Nigella, Scabiosa and you can ob- 
tain from the woods. Sumac, Elder, Wild 
Grape Vine, and numerous other plants which 
will add to the beauty, not forgetting some 
Violets, Spring Beauties and Sweet Alyssum. 




78 



HOME FLORICULTURE 



AQUATIC PLANTS. 

There is nothing adds more to the attract- 
iveness of a landscape than water, no matter 
whether it is a lake, a river or small stream, 
and it^ is not strange that we like to construct 
artificial ponds, lakes and streams on our home 




grounds where we are not so fortunate as to 
have them a part of the natural scenery. It is 
not always easy to construct a pond which will 
look natural, as in some places the soil is of 
such a nature that it will not hold water, but 
an excavation can be made and lined with a 
coating of cement. 

If your home place is large, so that you have 
room for such a pond, you will find it one of 
the most attractive spots around your grounds. 
and it can be made decidedly artistic. Possibly 
you can arrange a fountain by laying the pipe 



HOME FLORICULTURE 7D 

under the ground to some distant spring or 
tank of water on higher grounds, or attach it 
to the city water works ; have the end of this 
pipe come up in the center of the pond, and 
surround it with rockwork, so as to hide it as 
nearly as possible. 

The pond should be supplied with aquatic 
plants, the common white water lily, Nymphea 
Odorata, being one of the most desirable and 
perfectly hardy in this country. There are also 
many other varieties of Nympheas and Nelum- 
biums, and by having the various colors of 
pink, blue and yellow, with the white, it adds 
to the effect. Cabomba and Myriophyllum are 
plants of delicate moss-like appearance, and 
look very attractive in the water. Sagittarias 
and other plants will add to the attractiveness. 
Among the semi-aquatics or plants which pre- 
fer a moist place and should therefore be plant- 
ed around the margins of the pond we would 
specially mention Calamus, Iris and Cyperus, 
and it may be surrounded with various kinds 
of flowering shrubs which will be made more 
beautiful by the reflection in the clear water. 
If you like aquatics and have not space for a 
pond, sunken tubs can be prepared usually to 
the best advantage by cutting a vinegar barrel 
in half and sinking it down until the upper 
edge is about level with the turf, and put 
about eight or ten inches of very rich soil in 
the bottom. If you are in the city where it is 
difficult to obtain such soil, sweepings from 
the street will answer the purpose. Put two 
or three good strong roots of the water lily 



80 HOME FLORICULTURE 

well down into the soil and cover it with water 
to within a few inches of the top, and you will 
be surprised at the result. Some prefer deeper 
water and, for them, therefore, cut the barrel 
in such a way as to leave two-thirds of it for 
the plants and leave it projecting a foot to fif- 
teen inches out of the ground. Surround this 
with a rockery. The space between the rocks 
being supplied with good garden soil, and 
many varieties of plants can be set in same. 
Sweet Alyssum, Verbenas, Feverfew, Ferns 
and Vincas grow well in such a location. 

If you are so fortunate as to have a brook 
running through your place or a pond near 
the house, such a situation gives a great op- 
portunity for the cultivation of plants which 
cannot be grown in an ordinary location. 
Many varieties of flowers only grow to perfec- 
tion in ground where they have plenty of mois- 
ture. Among these are the Iris, Day Lilies 
and Calamus; Callas and Caladiums are also 
strong feeders and enjoy wet soil. You 
can also bring cat-tails and other bog plants 
from neighboring ponds and transplant 
them in such a way that they will show to 
good efifect. Do not attempt any systematic 
manner of planting in rows or set designs, but 
plant in clumps in the way in which they usu- 
ally groAV in nature. As a rule such plants 
grow better in rich black soil, and if your soil 
is not right for them, it may be improved by 
working into it well decomposed cow manure 
to a considerable depth. 

If you have a good sized pond, why not pre- 



HOME FLORICULTURE 81 

pare a floating island? You will find it quite 
an attraction. It is easily made by construct- 
ing a raft of small rustic sticks, securely fast- 
ened together, leaving about half an inch inter- 
stice between each stick. Over this place a 
layer of straw, about half an inch thick, with 
a thin covering of somewhat clayey mud, and 
better soil on top. In this soil plant a variety 
of water-loving plants. Parrot's Feather, Iris, 
Wandering Jew, and some varieties of grass or 
what might' look better than grass, sow some 
wild rice in the soil, and plant a water lily 
or two near the edge. Such a floating island 
will attract much attention especially if you 
arrange it so no woodwork can be seen. 

Most varieties of water lilies (Nympheas), 
succeed best with water i8 to 30 inches in 
depth. They may be planted at any time dur- 
ing the summer, from the middle of March or 
first of April until September. If the tender 
varieties of Nympheas are used it is best not 
to put them in before May, and we always pre- 
fer to plant them in boxes and sink the boxes 
so that they can be removed to a safe location 
in the winter. For best results it is a good 
plan to start the plants of these tender varie- 
ties in the house before putting out in the 
ponds. The Victoria Regia has always been 
considered the queen among water lilies. They 
are not only expensive, but require a large sur- 
face of water in order to grow them satisfac- 
torily and the water really should be heated 
artificially except during the summer weather. 
Water lilies do not like shade, but will bloom 
better when exposed to the sun. 



82 HOME FLORICULTURE 

CHILDREN'S GARDENS. 

We are glad to notice that gardening is being 
taught in many of the schools, and school gar- 
dens are becoming an important part of the 
teaching in Washington, D. C, Cleveland, 
Ohio, and many other places. There seems to 
be a period in the life of every boy and girl 
when they feel a desire to have a garden to 
plant and cultivate with their own hands, and 
it is wise to train them at that time, as culti- 
vating plants will have an influence for good 
not only on their own lives, but also on all 
with whom they maybe associated. If the 
love of gardening is encouraged during early 
life, it is apt to develop them in many ways. It 
trains the eye to see the beauty not only in 
nature, but also in the works of art, such as 
paintings and sculptures, which is hidden from 
the untrained. It develops observation, and 
one who really loves plants, trees, and flowers 
will derive more refined and lasting pleasure 
from the frequent changes of nature at various 
seasons, than those who are educated with 
book learning alone. 

One teacher Avith whom we are acquainted 
occasionally takes her class out into the woods 
and they study nature instead of books. Un- 
der such circumstances, a competent teacher 
may, in a pleasant manner, incite a desire for 
the study of botany, geology, entomology and 
other nature studies. 

The schoolhouse should be the pride of the 
village or neighborhood, and as long as the 



HOME FLORICULTURE 83 

3'-ard is left bare without any attempt at grow- 
ing plants it will be unattractive. It would 
cost very little to secure vines- to run over the 
building and some plants to set out either close 
to the walls or next to the fences where they 
will not interfere with the children's play- 
ground. A good, enthusiastic teacher can work 
up an interest in this way, and the parents in 
most neighborhoods will be glad to donate 
a few plants or seeds for beautifying the 
grounds where their children spend such a 
large portion of their waking hours. We know 
that difficulties will be encountered in raising 
flowers around the school grounds, but there 
is nothing which is desirable that is not diffi- 
cult and which does not require some labor, 
and we sincerely believe that the time is com- 
ing when school grounds throughout the coun- 
try everywhere will be made attractive by neat 
lawns, handsome trees, shrubs, climbing vines, 
and flowering plants. None but the most for- 
saken communities will be destitute of them. 
Why not then have your school take the lead 
in this work and be an example which other 
communities will be glad to copy? 



GRANDMOTHER'S GARDEN. 

It is always a pleasure with us to please the 
old people, and nothing suits them better than 
an old-fashioned garden. Why not prepare 
such a spot on your home grounds? I am sure 
that the children will enjoy it just as much as 
the old people. 

Select some quiet spot and let it be partially 



84 HOME FLORICULTURE 

secluded by planting some tall-growing shrubs 
like Lilacs or Syringa around it or arrange a 
screen of vines. Fix it up with cozy nooks and 
easy seats and surround it with masses of 
flowers. Don't put the latest novelties here, 
but fill it up with the old-fashioned favorites; 
the Marigold, Poppy and Portulaca, and Zin- 
nia, Verbena, Canterbury Bells, Sweet Peas, 
Larkspur, Stocks, Asters, Bachelor's Buttons, 
Tiger Lilies, not forgetting, of course, the 
sweet little Pansies, which hold up their per- 
fectly shaped faces to the light and will even 
do well under the shadow of the majestic Hol- 
lyhocks and Sunflowers; and remember to have 
Morning-glories along the fence, and some of 
the old-fashioned Cabbage Roses and Moss 
Roses. In some corner have a bed of Grass 
Pinks and Mignonettes to give fragrance to the 
air with a border of the old-fashioned ribbon 
grass and Myrtle. Such a place will become a 
favorite spot, and when you go into it, you 
will perhaps feel again the delights of the hap- 
py childhood hours, to which we all look back. 



PLANTS FOR SHADY PLACES. 

What plants will flourish when grown in the 
shade is a question almost daily asked of every 
florist and seedsman, and it is a very impor- 
tant question with hundreds of city people 
whose house perhaps faces the north or is so 
walled in by neighboring houses that the yard 
has but little sunlight. 

Few plants will bear intense shade and in 



HOME FLORICUl^TURE 85 

the dense, natural woods, where the sun sel- 
dom reaches, the ground is almost bare, while 
where the trees are partially cleared off an 
abundance of plants will soon make their ap- 
pearance. All the ferns prefer some shade, as 
do most of the climbers, which in their natural 
habitat climb the trunks of trees where, ot 
course, they are somewhat shaded by the over- 
hanging branches, but even they will bloom 
better if exposed to the sun at least part of the 

day. 

One reason why plants and even grass tail 
to flourish in many places is that the soil has 
become sour so that nothing will grow in it. 
Take up a handful of the dirt and you will no- 
tice the sour, disagreeable odor. Sprinkle air 
slacked lime over such places about half an 
inch thick and then spade and thoroughly 
work it into the soil with a rake, putting just 
a light sprinkling of lime over the surface. 

All plants need some sun for at least part of 
the day, but Fuchsias, Myosotis, Lily of the 
Valley, Violets, Pansies, and Ferns, which are 
natives of the shady woods, will usually suc- 
ceed fairly well in the shade, but it is a good 
plan to plant with them some of the orna- 
mental foliage plants, so as to add brightness 
even if the flower plants are not in bloom. 
Amongst these plants may be found the Coleus, 
fancy-leaved Geraniums, Caladiums, and^ Be- 
gonias. Some of the latter flower very nicely 
and the writer had a very showy bed of the 
tuberous rooted Begonias this season under 
the shade of a large apple tree. 



86 HOME FLORICULTURE 



With a Iktle care the shady corners of our 
gardens that have sometimes been neglected 
and left to rubbish may be made the prettiest 
spots on the place. 

The following annuals or plants usually 
grown from seed will do well in shady places 
or those partially shady : 

Antirrhinum Matricaria 

Auricula Mimulus 

Begonia, Tuberous Myosotis 

Bellis Mignonette 

Canterbury Bells Nemophila 

Coreopsis Nigella 

Clarkia Oenothera 

Delphinium Pansy 

Ferns Polyanthus 

Fox Glove Schizanthus 

Fuchsia Torenia 

Gaillardia Violet 

Godetia Wall Flower 

Linum Whitlavia 
Lupinus 

In the herbaceous or hardy perennial class 
aside from those mentioned in the above list 
we would suggest the following: 

Lilies Anemone 

Lily of the Valley Aegopodium 

Day Lilies Bocconia 

Hemerocallis Glechoma 

Iris Incarvillea 

Bleeding Heart Moneywort 

Dodecatheon Bluebells 

Blackberry Lily Poppies 

Spirea (Herbaceous) Phlox 

Myrtle Aquil^ia 

Paeonies Aconitum 

Also the Dutch bulbs, such as Hyacinths, 
Tulips, Crocus, Narcissus, Jonquils, etc., Cal- 
adium and foliage Cannas. 

While most varieties of shrubs do very 
much better in the full sunlight still Cbrnus 
Deutzea, Clethra, Berberis, Kalmia, Snow- 
berry, Spirea, Azalea Mollis and Rhododen- 
drons succeed well in partial shade. 



HOME FLORICULTURE 87 

THE BACK YARD. 

As a rule, there is no place around the house 
so neglected as the back yard. It >s often 
made the place for dumping the refuse and is 
decidedly unpleasant, and an eyesore to the 
fover of the beautiful. This should not be so. 
a° every spot around the home should have at- 
tention and be made to do its share toward 
making home attractive. This :s a place whe e 
you can nlant flowers which perhaps have only 
a short season of beauty, but at that t.me they 
are desirable for decoratmg the house. Here 
you can put in your spare hours Imng close 
to nature and you need not be particular as 
to how your clothes look, while you are work- 
ing in the back yard, where your friends are 
not apt to see you. It is not necessary to fill 
the yard with expensive exotics, as a few pack- 
ets of seeds may be all that are necessary to hU 
the beds and furnish an abundance of flowers 
which will rotate in blooming so that you can 
enjoy new beauties every day. Even if you 
are going to very little expense with it, try and 
arrange the plants so that they w.ll make an 
attractive picture and help the landscape efifect. 
Plant clumps of some of the taller growing 
sorts, such as Ricinus, Sunflowers or Holly- 
hocks, and they will usually look much better, 
if planted in clumps or masses instead ot try- 
ing to line them out in rows. 

Even your vegetable garden can be so ar- 
ranged as to make it beautiful, for what has a 
finer, more delicate foliage than Parsley, Car- 
rot and Asparagus, with Sweet Corn or Pole 



88 HOME FLORICULTURE 

Beans for a background; gourds and cucum- 
bers climbing over the fence; tomatoes and 
peas trellised up, and the smaller vegetaibles 
made to take their part in the garden arrange- 
ment, not forgetting to plant some okra, egg 
plant and peppers for tropical effect, as well as 
for their garden value. The smaller growing 
flowers, mignonette, heliotrope, phlox, etc., can 
l3e arranged in neat beds, or continuous bor- 
ders, with vines to cover division fences, out- 
buildings, poultry yards, etc. 

We recently visited a friend who lives in a 
beautiful home in Baltimore, Md. In front oi 
the residence there was a lawn with a few 
choice roses and ornamental trees. The back 
yard was separated from the front by a neat 
hedge of roses and before I had been there 
long, my friend invited me to see his flowers. 
When we passed this hedge, there was opened 
to our view one of the most beautiful spots 
imaginable. As the gentleman and his three 
sons put in practically all of their spare time 
with the flowers and their success with the great 
variety of plants was really surprising. In this 
case, the back yard was a more attractive place 
than the front, and it was here that the family 
really enjoyed home life, in a delightful seclu- 
sion such as is striven for in the old English 
homes, where they erect a high stone wall 
around their homes to screen out the curious 
eyes, and give privacy to the home grounds. 
Of course, it is desirable if you can do so, even 
in the back yard, to plant some herbaceous 
perennials, such as paeonies, iris, hardy phlox, 



HOME FLORICULTURE 89 

etc., and also some hardy shrubs. These can 
be planted from time to time and as they 
grow they add greatly to the beauty and value 
of any home place. Many persons who rent 
their homes, do not feel like going to any con- 
siderable expense on a rented place, still they 
can plant the annual flowers, and perhaps they 
can get the landlord to stand the expense of 
putting in a few fruit trees, grape vines, or 
hardy shrubs which will make a permanent 
improvement. Usually the front lawn and gar- 
den is kept nicely so as to make an attractive 
appearance to those who pass by, while the 
back yard should be prepared for the pleasure 
and convenience of the family or those who 
have occasion to use it most. 

There is no good reason why the grounds 
around the farmers' homes cannot be beauti- 
fied. It is really distressing to see the un- 
kempt, untidy appearance of many of the door- 
yards, in the country, even of successful 
wealthy farmers. If they only realized it, a 
little time and money spent in fixing up the 
home place would add more to the value of 
the farm, and also to the real enjoyment of 
the inmates of the home, than they can pos- 
sibly estimate. It does not require any great 
outlay of money for the gardens, nor rare and 
expensive plants. A rich velvet carpet of grass 
is much preferable and a few groups of flow- 
ering plants and some shrubbery and a few 
vines over the porch will make the home at- 
tractive. Do not attempt to do too much and 
it is well to remember that a few common 



90 HOME FLORICULTURE 

plants well cared for, so that they are of 
thrifty, luxuriant growth, are better than a 
large garden full of neglected plants, which if 
half overgrown with weeds, look anything but 
ornamental. A great variety of plants in such 
places are not tasteful nor desirable. 



LANDSCAPE GARDENING. 

Landscape gardening might well be called 
"picturesque gardening" as it consists of pleas- 
ing the imagination by scenes of beauty and 
grandeur. If there are trees now standing on 
your grounds it is well to plan the arrange- 
ment of the lawn, walks and drives so that 
they will harmonize. Making the home pleas- 
ant and attractive is what we should all strive 
for and the lawn should be the basis of all ar- 
rangements in the nature picture which you 
are preparing to make. Do not cut up the lawn 
with little flower beds and isolated shrubs, but 
keep the flowers and shrubbery well to the 
background, and, to our mind, groups of plants 
along the borders in irregular widths look 
much better than when laid out in straight 
lines or geometrical curves. Let your plants 
and shrubbery look more as if they grew there 
spontaneously and you had simply assisted 
them to perfect themselves. Nature with a 
little of your assistance will prepare a beauti- 
ful green velvet carpet for your front yard and 
handsome shrubbery for the border or frame 
of the picture. 

If you have a large place and can afiford it, 
it will be profitable to engage the services of 



HOME FLORICULTURE 91 

a professional landscape architect to P|an your 
grounds, to advise regarding the planting and 
make a blue print showing not only the walks 
drives, grading, etc., but also the system of 
planting and kinds of trees, shrubs and plants 
to set out in order to make it artistic. 

If vou have not a very large place, we would 
advise using. your own skill and artistic ideas 
by becoming your own landscape architect, 
and here is an opportunity to display your 
taste and art in arrangement. Do not try to 
plan it all in ten minutes; if you employed a 
landscape architect you would expect him to 
take time sufficient to consider well where each 
tree shrub and vine should be located, as well 
as to plan the walks, drive and arrangement ot 
the lawn. You are planning permanent im- 
provements which will be constantly mcreas- 
ino- in value as the trees and plants grow older. 
Think twice before setting out any plant or 
shrub, and thrice before setting out a tree. 
Remember that for many years, perhaps a lite- 
time, you will be receiving the benefit of the 
work done now, and you do not want to make 
a mistake by planting the tree or shrub in the 
wrong place. Perhaps it looks all right now, 
while of small size, but how will it look ten or 
fifteen vears from now. Consider the future 
as well'as the present. Leave open spaces oi 
unbroken lawn in one or more p aces instead 
of having them broken up by small flower beds, 
shrubbery, etc. There is nothing which so 
adds to the attractiveness of any place, as a 
nice, open lawn, but do not neglect to have 



92 HOME FLORICULTURE 

shrubbery around the sides and background' 
Do not obstruct the view from the principal 
windows and porch, but leave openings toward 
the street or toward any point of particular in- 
terest. Large shrubs and trees should be 
planted away from the center of the lawn, so 
that they will not obstruct the view. In small 
yards, do not plant any trees which will attain 
great size. 

Nature rarely scatters her plants and almost 
invariably she plants in great masses. This is 
a good rule to follow for producing landscape 
effect, as plants really look much better in this 
way than when planted in rows, the only ex- 
ception being where single specimens are de- 
sired for special effect. 

Sun Dials. — ^These make most attractive or- 
naments for the center of a formal flower 
garden or on a lawn and attract much atten- 
tion. They may be placed on handsome cut 
stone pedestals, but the writer has one mount- 
ed on the stump of a white birch tree which 
he had dug up from the spot where it grew and 
placed in a suitable location where it could be 
examined by visitors without tramping or dis- 
turbing the flowers. It tells the time suffi- 
ciently correct so that the children can use it 
as a guide in going to school without its being 
necessary for them to run in and look at the 
clock. Metal sun dials can be furnished by 
most seedsmen or direct from the manufac- 
turers who advertise in the floral papers. 

Architectural Ornaments. — If your grounds 
are spacious so that you have room for them. 



HOME FLORICULTURE 



93 



it will add to the attractiveness to have a rustic 
or plain summer house, a pergola, colonnade, 
peristyle, statuary or other ornament, but it 
requires good taste to correctly place objects 

so that they 
will accord and 

^^^^^^^_Jii| j be in harmony 

with the sur- 
roundings. No 
matter how 
beautiful the 
object it is not 
ornamental if 
placed in an in- 
appropriate po- 
^ sition. Much 
discrimination 
^is required in 
^adapting it to 
any place. If 
too richly or 
highly ornamented it will appear gaudy and 
if out of accord with its surroundings it will 
betray ignorance or poor taste. Therefore, 
whatever you do in this line, let it be well 
chosen and placed. 

A summer-house may be made both orna- 
mental and useful and if covered with choice 
vines will be decidedly attractive. Some years 
ago I erected a rustic summer house which 
was inexpensive, but useful and showy. I first 
secured six oak posts ten feet long and about 
five inches in diameter, being careful to have 
all the bark left on, uninjured. These were set 




SUMMER HOUSE 



94 



HOME FLORICULTURE 



in position selected, about five feet apart in a 
circle thus making a sextagonal or six-sided 
house. They were sunk in the ground about 
thirty inches, and a band of 2x4 lumber was 
nailed on top of the posts to support the roof 




PERGOLA ATTACHED TO GREENHOUSE 

frame, which was made higher in the center, 
being what carpenters would call half-pitch. 
This made, of course, a six-sided roof, which 
was composed of common inch boards and all 
covered over with pieces of white birch wood 
with the bark on. For this purpose I used the 
large branches trimmed from a large white 
birch tree which had recently been pruned. 
They were nailed on with small ends upwards 



HOME FLORICULTURE 95 

and the large ends, which had been chopped 
off instead of sawed, overhanging the edge 
about a foot, in irregular order so that when 
finished the roof looked round. Seats were 
provided by fitting in a twelve-inch board 
around five sides of the building, one side of 
course being left open for a doorway. Seats 
should be about seventeen inches high, that 
being the most comfortable for the average 
person. A rough and rather open lattice work 
was made of crooked tree limbs and attached 
so as to make a back for the seats and in part 
fill the space above for the vines to run over. 
In the center of the enclosure I sank a large 
stump cutting the tree off squarely at the top 
about thirty inches above the surface of the 
ground and on this as a base or column I built 
a round table thirty-two inches in diameter. 
The building is covered with Clematis Jack- 
mani, Clematis Paniculata and the old-fash- 
ioned Honeysuckle and in the summer and fall 
becomes a bower of beauty which is occupied 
more or less every day. This description of 
the method of construction has been given 
quite completely, as the building was so inex- 
pensive that everyone can afford one, and you 
will really enjoy doing the work yourself and 
putting on the little touches of true art which 
will suggest themselves as the work prog- 
resses. For instance, if constructed in such a 
manner as to be artistic and at the same time 
inconspicuous, a small rustic house for the wild 
birds may be perched on the apex of the roof 
and will add attractiveness and please both the 



96 HOME FLORICULTURE 

children and the birds. Teach the children to 
love flowers, birds and all animate creatures 
and their lives will be made purer and better. 



THE LAWN. 



"Thank God for grass ! No other glory vies 
With the refreshing glory of the grass; 

Not e'en the blue of the o'erhending skies. 
Nor fading splendor when the daylight dies. 

Can this sweet smile of living green surpass." 

A well kept lawn is absolutely essential 
around any home place and its beautiful, soft, 
velvety turf adds a charm which cannot be sur- 
passed. Even the humblest home may be 
made attractive with such surroundings, while 
witlwut a good lawn the finest residence with 
elegantly arranged flower beds seems incom- 
plete. Its soft, velvety green turf is restful to 
the eyes, quieting to the nerves and purifying 
to the atmosphere. 

How often a home, costing several thousand 
dollars, is erected; and then the planning and 
grading of the grounds is turned over to some 
ignorant but pretentious laborer, who is in- 
stalled to make the lawn. As a result the 
beauty of the place is forever marred. Here is 
an opportunity to display as much taste and 
art as in the construction of the dwelling it- 
self; in fact, everyone has noticed how even a 
modest home often shines like a jewel when 
tastefully set in- proper surroundings. Perhaps 
you can safely leave the building of your house 
to contractors, but the lawn should be prepared 
under your personal supervision. Nature, with 
a little of your assistance, will prepare a most 



HOME FLORICULTURE 97 

beautiful green velvet carpet for your front 
yard, soft, elegant green velvet to walk on, 
to sit on, or to play croquet or tennis on. 

A lawn may be more quickly obtained by 
sodding tban in any other manner, but it is ex- 
pensive and unless good sod free from objec- 
tionable weeds is obtained, the results are un- 
satisfactory. The sod is usually cut from the 
roadside or some out of the way pasture, it is 
poor in quality and full of weeds, and when 
unevenly laid produces a rough surface that 
disfigures the lawn. It costs comparatively lit- 
tle to obtain a lawn by sowing seed and it is 
always better and more satisfactory. 

A lawn that is to be permanent should be 
thoroughly and carefully made. See that the 
ground is properly graded and leveled with a 
view to drainage. Plan carefully for you want 
the work to be permanent and it cannot be 
easily changed after trees are planted and flow- 
er beds and walks have been laid out. When 
the grading is completed and all stones, roots 
and other rubbish are removed, plow the 
whole thoroughly, taking care that at least 
two inches of good soil will overlay the whole. 
In all places where possible to do so, a heavy 
harrow should then be applied until the sur- 
face is thoroughly fined down ; a rake would of 
course have to take the place of the harrow on 
small city lawns. It not infrequently happens 
in the case of dooryards and plats surrounding 
city and suburban residences that the soil is 
largely composed of the earth excavated in 
making the foundations. This earth is entire- 



98 HOME FLORICULTURE • 

ly unsuited for the growth of grass, and, where 
a lawn is desired, should be removed or cov- 
ered to a depth of two to four inches with fine, 
rich earth, to insure the healthy and permanent 
growth of grass. 

While it is true that a clay subsoil is the best 
for Kentucky Blue Grass, still it should have 
some rich surface soil to make it grow vigor- 
ously. 

Lawn grass is a voracious feeder, and will 
not thrive and hold its beautiful dark green 
color and velvety appearance unless it is suit- 
ably fed, and for the lack of this one requisite 
we have many poor and rusty looking lawns. 
If the surface soil of an old lawn is not natu- 
rally rich, better apply a liberal dressing of 
some good law^n fertilizer. Stable manure is 
not only ill looking and unpleasant to handle, 
but it is practically impossible to distribute it 
evenly, the result being that one spot is over- 
nourished while the next is starved. There 
will also come up a plentiful crop of weeds 
from weed seeds contained in manure. 

Grass seed can be sown at any time from 
March to October, but the best time is from 
March to May, or as soon as the ground can be 
put in proper condition. When sown at this 
time, if conditions are favorable, the lawn will 
be ready for mowing in sixty days or less. It 
is well to sow early as possible, or as soon as 
the land is in condition to receive it, in order 
that the young plants may become sufficiently 
well established to withstand the often dry and 
hot summer months. Another advantage of 



HOME FLORICULTURE 99 

very early spring planting is that it enables the 
grass to get ahead of the annual weeds, which 
are not usually troublesome before midsum- 
mer. We do not advise sowing during the hot 
summer months as the seed is liable to dry up 
and die after the sprout starts, but before the 
roots are formed. Lawns are very often sown 
during the early fall months (September being 
the best), with excellent results. 

Throughout the central and northern states, 
there is nothing equal to Kentucky Blue Grass, 
sometimes called June Grass. It makes a 
dense, close turf, standing tramping well, and 
quickly covers the ground. It is difficult 
to obtain a quick sod with Blue Grass alone and 
therefore is advisable to sow a mixture of 
grasses for best results. One author says : 
"He who makes two blades of grass grow 
where only one grew before, would do more 
essential service to his countrymen than a 
whole race of politicians." This is accom- 
plished with lawn mixtures, by learning that 
each variety of grass requires certain kinds of 
plant food, and that what Blue Grass, for in- 
stance, discards in the soil, is taken up and as- 
similated by Meadow Fescue, Sweet Vernal 
and other varieties which grow and beautify 
the lawn without in any way interfering with 
each other. Some kinds are more luxuriant in 
the spring, others in the summer and others in 
the autumn, and a proper combination of these 
various sorts is required to create and main- 
tain a perfect carpet-like lawn at all seasons. 
It is therefore advisable to purchase seed from 



100 HOME FLORICULTURE 

some reliable seed dealer who can supply mix- 
tures suitable for your soil and location. Rhode 
Island Bentgrass, Creeping Bentgrass, Redtop 
and White Clover all do well in mixtures with 
Kentucky Blue Grass, making a close, compact 
sward. The Canadian Blue Grass is often used 
on terraces and embankments but it is not as 
desirable as the Kentucky Blue Grass for gen- 
eral use on lawns. Wood Meadow grass is 
used largely for sowing in shady places but 
it is rather expensive. Sheeps Fescue also does 
well in the shade. 

When sowing the seed, select a day when 
there is no wind, and sow broadcast by hand. 
Do not spare seed if you want a compact sod. 
for you must bear in mind that only one little 
grass blade will show at first, and they must be 
very close together to make an early sod. Rake 
lightly with sharp toothed rake and press down 
surface smoothly with a roller if one is ob- 
tainable. Watering thoroughly will help to 
settle the seed in place and also assist in cov- 
ering it with soil. 

One pound of Blue Grass or Lawn grass is 
sufficient for 300 to 400 square feet or about 
100 pounds to the acre for new lawns, or one- 
half this quantity for refreshing an old one. Sow 
very thickly if you desire a compact, vigorous 
growing sod which will make an immediate 
showing and su1)due the weeds. Remember 
that "Nature abhors a vacuum" and weeds 
will spring up in places not occupied by grass. 
If White Clover is used, very little of the 
seed is required, usually not over two 



HOME FLORICULTURE 101 

to three pounds per acre. Many per 
sons sow oats, rye or wheat with lawn 
grass seed as a "nurse crop/' thinking 
that it shades and protects the grass. We 
always discourage this theory, believing that 
it tends to choke out and injure the grass 
and make tufts on the lawn. It is advisable 
only when sown with grass seed during very 
hot, dry weather. AMien the grass has made 
a good start begin cutting it frequently with a 
lawn mower, cutting it about two inches from 
the ground. 

It is quite difficult to obtain a good lawn 
on soil which is very sandy, as Blue Grass 
and most other kinds of grass do l^etter on a 
rather stifif, clayey soil. It will be best in 
such a place to haul in some good soil or clay 
soil, as a top dressing for your lawn, but 
when this is impossil)le, it is sometimes neces- 
sary to select a plant which grows well on 
sand to take the place of grass, and the Achil 
lea IMillifolium has been sometimes used for 
this purpose. It has fine handsome foliage, 
is of low growth, and fine color. White 
Clover will also do well with it, but it must 
have at least a little good soil mixed with the 
sand. 

In places where the shade was so extremely 
dense as to prevent the growing of any kind 
of grass we have seen very effective lawns 
made of the common green Myrtle. 

In the southern states their dependence for 
lawns is Bermuda grass and in Southern Cali- 
fornia where grass does not do well without 



102 HOME FLORICULTURE 

• 

a great amount of watering, one of the pret- 
tiest plants to use for a lawn is Lippia Reoens. 
It makes an excellent substitute for lawn 
grass, growing only two or three inches high, 
covering the ground with a dense mat of green 
foliage and pretty little flowers. It is not 
hardy, however, and will not stand freezing 
w^eather. It grows well in sand and apparent- 
ly it does not matter whether it has any mois- 
ture or not, as it goes right on growing for 
many months without rain. 



CEMETERIES. 

From the earliest ages in history until the 
present day among all civilized nations the 
l3urial places of the dead have been given 
much care and attention and it is only natu- 
ral that we should wish to beautify the last 
resting spots of our dear friends and relatives 
Expensive monuments are erected and pil- 
grimages are taken to visit the graves of 
great men. Decoration Day or Memorial Day 
as it is sometimes called, is now observed in 
all parts of this country and it is a beautiful 
custom to lay a wreath of flowers on the grave 
of our loved ones, but it is still more appro- 
priate to beautify the surroundings by per- 
manent planting of shrubs, roses and herba- 
ceous plants or by setting out some of the 
handsome foliaged or blooming varieties of 
greenhouse plants. 

It is a pleasure to pay these attentions to 
our friends' graves, as they are dictated by 



HOME FLORICULTURE 103 

the highest and purest feelings of afifection of 
which the human heart is capable. When 
we visit the cemetery alone and quietly med- 
itate there, thoughts will crowd our minds, 
more pure and holy apparently than we ever 
experience while in the rush of our busy 
daily lives. 

There are many cemeteries in all parts of 
the country which are famous for their beauty 
and arrangement, and they show the artistic 
work of a landscape architect. There is much, 
however, that remains to be done in most com- 
munities, and it is some consolation to mourn- 
ing friends, if they can visit the last resting 
places of their loved ones, and make the spot 
so attractive that they will delight to come 
there to meditate on the past. 

It is, of course, nice to have plenty of trees 
scattered through the cemetery, but it should 
not look like a forest. If destitute of trees, the 
ground should be treated as for park or lawn 
with good, clean, well kept roads and paths 
and all the ground grassed over except such 
spots as are prepared for flower beds. Many 
persons ask for plants for the cemetery which 
will stand neglect, but there are no plants 
but what will be far better and more attract- 
ive if properly cultivated. "Everything worth 
doing at all is worth doing well," and while 
shrubs, roses and most herbaceous plants will 
succeed fairly well with little attention, still 
the ground should be loosened around the 
roots and the grass which grows close up to 
them should be pulled at least once a year so 



104 HOME FLORICULTURE 

that the plants can absorb sufficient moisture 
to keep them growing vigorously. 

Do not, however, set out so many plants 
as to make the lot look "cluttered up." We 
frequently see such a condition and it is la- 
mentable, when by the exercise of a little fore- 
thought and planning, the place might have 
been made beautiful without any more labor 
and with really less expense. 

It is well to remember in selecting plants 
for cemetery planting to take those which are 
of strong vitality, which will stand unfavor- 
able conditions as well as lack of water and 
cultivation. It is well to remember, however, 
that it pays to give all plants proper cultiva- 
tion and they will do so much better, and be so 
much more beautiful that you will feel well re- 
paid for your extra trouble. Heliotrope, 
Lantana, Geraniums, Ageratum and most va- 
rieties of bedding plants will do well in such 
a location, but it is a good plan to set out some 
hardy perennials and shrubs which w^ill not 
need to be replanted every year. Prominent 
among these may be mentioned the Achillea 
Alba, Anemones, Day Lily, Lemon Lily, Iris, 
Paeonies, Astilbejaponica.or herbaceous grow- 
ing Spirea, Hardy Phlox, Yucca, Bleeding 
Hearts and hardy garden pinks. Of course all 
kinds of roses are desirable, particularly the 
Moss Roses, which seem to be well adapted 
to cemetery planting. The Rosa Rugosa and 
Sweet Briar Rose, are nice for such a place, 
and the various kinds of Memorial Roses, such 
as Wichuriana, Universal Favorite, and 



HOME FLORICULTURE 105 

Manda's Triumph, are elegant for trailing over 
the ground, their foliage being almost everlast- 
ing, and in some locations keeping green all 
winter. 

One of the best shrubs for cemetery plant- 
ing is the Deutzia. it is an early bloomer, hav- 
ing long, slender branches and producing a 
profusion of flowers. The various varieties of 
Weigelia are also desirable, as they continue 
a longer time in bloom than most of the hardy 
shrubs. All varieties of Spirea look well and 
nothing makes a finer appearance that the Hy- 
drangea Paniculata Grandiflora. All of these 
plants are perfectly hardy in this climate. 
While the last named produces only one crop 
of flowers, still they remain on the plant and 
look well until cold w^eather, ranging through 
the various shades of white, green, pink and 
brown. The new Hydrangea Arborescens is 
also very desirable on account of its great 
number of flowers, although the individual 
panicles of bloom are not as large. The Tar- 
tarian or Bush Honeysuckle is also a desirable 
shrub for the summer, and Lilies will do well 
if planted in a good rich soil, where the ground 
is w^ell drained. \\> especially recommend for 
this purpose, the Lilium Candidum, and Lilium 
Speciosum Rubrum, and don't forget the Lily 
of the Valley. It blooms early in the season, 
is pure white, of exquisite fragrance, and 
charming grace. The foliage is also orna- 
mental, even when the plants are not in flower. 

One of the nicest old-fashioned plants for 
the cemetery is the common Green Myrtle 



106 HOME FLORICULTURE 

or Vinca Minor. It is hardy, easily grown, 
and if planted over a grave will soon cover 
the mound with its dark green foliage and 
bright blue flowers. It will soon drive out 
weeds, grass and other plants and make a 
beautiful carpet, in fact, we have seen entire 
lawns made of Myrtle, in places where it was 
so shady that grass did not do well. It is 
also an excellent plant for trailing over rock- 
work, and will grow well in poor clayey soil, 
where nothing else seems to thrive. 

In some places reservoir vases are used in 
place of Tombstones. These are made of iron 
with a reservoir to hold water which feeds the 
plants as they need it, and still they are never 
over-watered. These reservoirs will hold suf- 
ficient water to supply the plants for from ten 
days to two weeks, according to the weather. 
They are usually painted pure white, with 
what is known as flat paint, which does not 
turn yellow. The ordinary lead and oil paints 
turn yellow so quickly that they soon be- 
come unsightly. It is an easy matter to at- 
tach a name plate, giving the name and dates 
of birth and death to these vases, and they 
then answer the double purpose. It costs 
but little to fill them with flowering plants 
and vines, and they make attractive orna- 
ments throughout the season. 

Decoration Day was instituted many years 
ago and the day selected was supposed to be 
the day when most varieties of flowers would 
be in bloom. We always like to have the cem- 
etery look nice on that day, and it is well to 



HOME FLORICULTURE 107 

plant there some flowers which will add their 
beauty at that time, among these we may 
mention Lemon Lily, Orange Lily, Snow 
Balls, Lilacs, Bridal Wreath, Deutzias and 
Iris. 



INSECTS AND PLANT DISEASES. 

Almost all plants are more or less subject to 
injury by insects and sometimes they are a 
source of great annoyance. It is always well to 
be on the outlook for them and prepared in ad- 
vance to fight them, for if they are once al- 
lowed to gain a foothold it will require double 
the labor to get rid of them. When plants are 
in vigorous, healthy, -growing condition, they 
are not so likely to be affected as a sickly 
plant. In order to guard against the ravages 
of insects it is well to occasionally take your 
plants out to some place where you can thor- 
oughly spray or wash them and on most plants 
it is well to use soap suds, that being made 
from whaleoil or tobacco soap being especially 
desirable, as it also kills the insects on them, 
Init in all cases, plants should be thoroughly 
rinsed in clear water afterwards. 




THREE STAGES IN APHIS LIFE 



The most common of all insects is the Aphis, 
also called Green Fly or Plant Lice, and as 



108 HOME FLORICULTURE 

they multiply with wonderful rapidity they 
soon become a most destructive pest unless 
they are kept in check. If only one plant or so 
is affected cover with a cone of newspaper ana 
fumigate by puffing tobacco smoke under it. 
Or it may be more convenient to spray the 
plants thoroughly with a tea made by steeping 
tobacco or tobacco stems in water or spray 
with the tobacco soap mentioned above. It 
usually requires two or three applications to 
get rid of them, but the tobacco pieparations 
will do it. We have used the Sulpho-Tobacco 
Soap for many years past with excellent re- 
sults on house plants as well as in the green- 
house and even on large trees to kill the Aphis. 
It can be obtained from almost any seedsman 
or florist. Tobacco will kill anything except a 
man, you know. 

The Red Spider also frequently becomes 
quite injurious on roses and other plants dur- 
ing the winter. This little pest increases most 
rapidly in a hot, dry atmosphere, and the best 
way to destroy it is to spray the plants fre- 
quently with water, being careful that the un- 
derside of the leaves is thoroughly wet. They 
are of very small size and appear like little red 
dots and are usually on the underside of the 
leaves. 

The Mealy Bug is another patience-trying 
insect which usually infests the plant at the 
axis of the leaves and is particultrly objection- 
able on Fuchsias and Bouvardias. They usu- 
ally appear in masses and look like a speck of 
cornmeal. Tobacco water has little effect on 



HOME FLORICULTURE 109 

them, but kerosene emulsion or diluted alcohol 
applied with an atomizer will do the work. 1 
l,ut few plants are affected, however you w 11 
find it easier to brush them off with an old 
tooth brush or piece of soft wood. 

The Scaly Bug is the worst insect which 
we have on Palms and many other plants ot a 
woodv nature. They are sometimes ca ed 
"shield lice," owing to the hard sh.eld-hke 
scale which covers the.r body. It is best to 
keep the plants free from them by rubbing 
them off wherever seen, and of course if the 
palm leaves and stems are washed, occasion- 
ally, with a brush, it will usually remove all 

There are many kinds of scale which injure 
shade trees and hardy shrubs, especially 
Lilacs. Scrubbing the bark with strong, soapy 
water or spraying with Horicum or some other 
preparation of lime, sulphur and salt will usu- 
ally destroy them. 

The Black Fly is particularly annoying on 
Chrysanthemums and some other plants. 
Thev are black or very dark brown m color 
and destroy the flower bud and tender foliage. 
The tobacco tea or tobacco soap will usually 
kill them. Tobacco dust sprinkled over the 
leaves will help to drive them away. _ 

Thrips are small, light colored insects which 
are particularly destructive to Carnations and 
Chrysanthemums, as they get into the flowers 
as they begin to expand and suck the sub- 
stance out of the petals. They are hard to 
kill, but fumigating strongly with tobacco or 



110 HOME FLORICULTURE 

Spraying with Nicofume solution usually kills 
them. 

The Black Beetle or Aster Bug is very de- 
structive to Asters, eating the flowers very 
rapidly. We have had good success in using 
Slugshot to dust over the plants, but on a 
small flower bed it is an easy matter to knock 
the bugs ofif into a pan containing a little 
kerosene. The best time to do this is in the 
early morning when the bugs are rather slug- 
gish. 

Rose Slugs are small green worms which 
feed on the rose leaves and buds. They will 
usually be discovered on the underside of the 
leaves frequently drawing two leaves together, 
with a spider-like web. Syringing with tobacco 
soap, or dusting the plant with powdered helle- 
bore will usually kill them, or go over the 
plants and remove by hand. 

Worms in the soil with potted plants may be 
destroyed by' thoroughly soaking the soil with 
lime water. This is prepared by slacking a 
piece of lime in water. After slacked stir well 
and let settle ; then use the clear water to 
pour around the plants. 

Hot water is a clean, safe and effectives 
means of destroying green fly and other in- 
sects on pot plants. To the amateur, whose 
stock of plants might be small, or who might 
not have accommodations for fumigating, it 
would be found a convenient remedy. 

It will doubtless startle many ladies to think 
of dipping a flower plant in hot water, 
in order to kill the insects. Of course, we do 



HOME FLORICULTURE 111 

not mean boiling water, but water up to a 
temperature of 130 to 150 degrees, or as hot 
as you can hold your hand in for two or three 
seconds. There is a margin of many degrees 
between the lowest temperature that will de- 
stroy this insect and the highest that a plant 
will stand with impunity. The plants should 
be plunged into and withdrawn from the water 
instantaneously. The smaller body and more 
delicate skin of the insect is acted upon more 
quickly than that of the plant. Should anyone 
be afraid to employ the remedy, let her, if she 
has several plants affected, try it on one first, 
and the next day, when she sees it has suffered 
no injury, she will have no misgivings about 
treating the rest in the same way. Hot water 
is also a good means of killing worms and tiny 
insects, and good results are frequently se- 
cured by pouring water which has been heated 
to nearly the boiling point, in the soil around 
the plant. After this treatment, roses usually 
start out as vigorously as if they had been 
freshly fertilized. 

Roses and some other plants are subject to 
fungous diseases sometimes known as "black 
spot," "rust," "blight," and "mildew." It usu- 
ally starts from unfavdrable changes in tem- 
perature or atmospheric conditions which af- 
fect the tender foliage. The mildew can usual- 
ly be stopped by dusting with sulphur. Bor- 
deaux mixture, which is used largely by fruit 
growers for spraying apple trees, etc., is the 
most reliable fungicide. The usual formula is 
one pound copper sulphate, one pound fresh 



112 



HOME FLORICULTURE 



lime and twelve gallons of water. Spray thor- 
oughly with this mixture. 

Ants are sometimes quite troublesome and 
they may 'be killed or driven away by sprink- 
ling powdered sugar and borax mixed in equal 
proportions in places where they frequent; or 
sprinkle black or red pepper in their hills. An- 
other good plan is to hll a sponge with sweet- 
ened water and place where the ants are 
numerous. When well filled with ants scald it 
in hot water. 




ATOMIZER FOR SPRAYING 
INSECTICIDES 



In spraying insecticides it is well to have 
some good atomizer or sprinkler and there are 
hundreds of excellent devices. The Tyrian and 
Scolley Rubber Sprinklers are excellent for 
washing the foliage as well as distributing in- 
secticides and fungicides. There are many 




kinds of atomizers, most of them operated on 
a principle similar to our illustration, which 
throw a very fine spray, and also the larger 
compressed air or other types of sprayers de- 
sirable for trees or field use. 



HOME FLORICULTURE 113 

WEEDS. 

The usual definition of a weed is a "plant 
out of place." Another is "any useless plant," 
still another, "any plant whose use has not yet 
been discovered." All plants are of some use 
in this world, and are put here for some wise 
purpose, though possibly we have not learned 
what that purpose is. Many plants which have 
beautiful flowers to us are detested m their 
native country or in some^ country in which 
they have become acclimated. The beautiful 
Lantana is a bad pest in some parts of Aus^ 
tralia ; the daisy, which is such a pest m the 
eastern states, the ladies here cultivate with 
care, and they are worn as corsage bouquets. 
The Golden Rod, which is the nuisance of our 
western prairie lands, is cultivated as a choice 
flower in some parts of Europe. The farmer 
usually wants not more than three stalks of 
corn to grow in each hill, and if he finds four 
or five stalks in the hill, he will naturally pluck 
out one or two of them, as in that case, they 
are "weeds," interfering with the crop. Noth- 
ing is more highly valued than a nice blue 
grass lawn, but "grass is one of the worst pests 
that the onion grower has to contend with, and 
it is also very objectionable in any flower gar- 
acn or straw^berrv bed; the young plants of 
raspbc-ry and blackberry, which come between 
the roots may be considered weeds, as they are 
not wanted there and must be cultivated out. 
Weeds are troublesome everywhere but if 
the land is kept well cultivated one season 
there is but little trouble with them the next. 



114 HOME FLORICULTURE. • 

If the annual sorts are once pulled out or hoed 
off that ends them, they are gone forever. The 
perennial sorts are more persistent and such 
kinds as wild morning-glory and Canada this- 
tle will require hoeing frequently. Cut them 
off below the surface of the ground as fast as 
they come up and if you keep them from 
"breathing" they will soon perish. You can 
destroy morning-glories in one year if they 
are attended to promptly, but you cannot kill 
them off in ten years by simply occasionally 
hoeing them out. 

In starting a flower garden begin with "a 
clean record." Have the, soil loose and well 
raked and begin your cultivating before the 
weeds make a showing. It is much easier to 
kill them off while they are tiny seedlings. Do 
not let them get a firm hold of the ground. 
Work is the price of success and the cultivat- 
ing and hoeing which you do to destroy weeds 
will also put the soil in good shape for the 
growing crop. 

Dandelions, plantain and other weeds are 
quite objectiona1)le in the lawn. They can be 
eradicated by cutting off with a sharp knife 
just below the crown or by extracting the root 
with a dandelion puller. Sulphate of iron dis- 
solved in water and sprinkled over the lawn 
two or three times during the season will kill 
the weeds and not injure the grass. Care 
should be exercised to not get it on cement or 
stone walks, as it will stain them. 



HOME FLORICULTURE 115 

CUT FLOWERS. 

The artistic arrano^ement of flowers in a 
decorative way really should be classed among 
the hne arts as there are many persons 
who always make a botch of it, no mat- 
ter if they have the choicest materials to 
work with. Any one, however, who really 
likes flowers and enjoys working with them, 
can soon become an expert by giving careful 
attention and study. Consider well the group- 
ing of colors, so as to produce an artistic ef- 
fect. If there is an inharmonious blending 
of colors, the appearance of the finished work 
is as hideous as that of a child daubing in 
the paint boxes trying to paint a picture. 
While the lifetime of the flowers is short, 
being only a few days at most, and usually 
decorations are for but a few hours, still 
it pays well to know how to arrange them 
properly and to the best advantage. Do not 
try to use too many flowers or to mix colors, 
but be sure to have plenty of "greenery" as 
a background. You woufd not want a land- 
scape picture hanging on your wall which was 
all a blaze of color without a subdued back- 
ground of sky or of green sward, which would 
be restful to the eye. • Why should you, then, 
want a solid mass of bright flowers in the 
bouquet or table decoration? Consider well 
the distances at which flowers are to be viewed. 
A table bouquet of small, delicate flowers and 
light airy foliage may be beautiful in its place, 
but it would not look as well on a pulpit or 



116 HOME FLORICULTURE 

on the speaker's table in a large hall, as one 
made of larger, bolder flowers, which would 
be more showy when seen from a distance, 
and one of the latter kind of bouquets would 
not be so desirable for the table. Sometimes 
distance does lend enchantment to the view. 

Some people seem to be naturally adept at 
bouquet making and flower work. They will 
arrange them quickly and with careless ease 
in the most perfect manner, while others given 
the same material will in the end have a stiff 
unnatural looking bunch which is quite dis- 
tressing. Not only must one have a good eye 
for colors, but knowledge of the best manner 
of arrangement. Sweet Peas should not be 
used with any other flower in bouquet making. 
They produce an effect by themselves which is 
superb, and putting other flowers with them 
only detracts from their appearance. Do not 
crowd Sweet Peas together. Cut them with 
as long stems as possible and arrange them so 
that they will droop loosely in careless beauty. 
With all cut flower work use plenty of white 
to combine the color of the other flowers. For 
the mantel or wall, select some tall growing 
flower like Gladiolus, and you will find that 
they show up better with good background. If 
Roses are used for such purpose, put them in 
a tall vase and leave as long stems on the roses 
as possible. In mixed bouquets even vivid 
yellow flowers are sometimes of great value 
in toning up the bunch even though they 
may not be particularly attractive by them- 
selves. Yellow and white should also be used 



HOME FLORICULTURE 117 

in dark corners of the room and you will find 
that they will brighten and give a touch of sun- 
shine to the place. 

Study simplicity of arrangement in your 
vases. The old-fashioned formal bouquets are 
out of date and seldom seen. With most 
flowers it is desirable to keep the different 
sorts together with simply a little airy green 
foliage or some small flowered plant, like 
Baby's Breath (Gypsophilla), instead of mix- 
ing all kinds of flowers together in the vase. 
Roses, however, are one flower which require 
no embellishment. A vase containing a dozen 
or two long-stemmed roses will look much bet- 
ter with their own foliage than with any othe^. 

For table decorations, either have a center 
piece of flowers or a nice vase, and in case of 
banquet or party, always scatter a few fern 
fronds around the table with a carnation or 
other flower beside each plate, which can be 
used as a boutonniere. A center piece can 
be easily arranged with an oval wreath filled 
with sphagnum moss first and covered with 
ferns or some other green foliage. The flowers 
can then be wired on toothpicks, and stuck 
into the moss so that they will stand well 
above the foliage. In some cases we like to 
use small ferns in pots and simply sink the 
pots in the moss. In this way the same plants 
can be used many times and always look well, 
though it is, of course, necessary to sink the 
pots out of sight and have some green to cover 
them. At various seasons of the year, this 
center piece can be made of the flowers at that 



118 



HOME FLORICULTURE 



time most plentiful. Roses and Carnations 
are, of course, the standbys for all classes of 
llower work, but during the winter Hyacinths 
and Narcissus of various colors should be 
used and show up well. About Easter time 
the center piece can be filled with Easter 
Lilies interspersed with Ferns, or Lily of the 
Valley with red or pink roses. In the early 
spring. Tulips will make a beautiful table dec- 
oration. Throughout the summer the various 
flowers will have their place, until late in the 
summer when the Asters come in bloom and 
nothing will surpass them. During October 
and November, nothing seems to do so well 
as Chrysanthemums and the Bouvardias when 
obtainable always help the decorations in the 
winter. Wire designs 

are made in al- 
most every imag- 
inable shape for 
funerals and wed- 
dings. They are 
usually lined with 
tinfoil to retain 
the moss with 
which the frame 
should be packed. 
Brown Sphagnum 
moss is ordinarily 
used for this pur- 
pose as it is cheap 
and holds the 
WREATH ON BASE ^ molsture well. It 

should be covered with Fern fronds, smilax 




HOME FLORICULTURE 



IID 




or some other green foliage to hide the brown 
moss and it is then ready for the flowers. 

In order to insert 
the stems of the 
flowers easily in the 
moss it is well to 
attach them to 
wooden toothpicks 
by winding them 
on with wires. 
This also will help 
to keep them up- 
right and solid in 
the design so that 
they will not shal^e 
out of place. Do 
not crowd the flow- 
ers in too closely, 
as they will make a 
better showing if 
they stand sep- 
arately. Of course 
where you wish to 
put lettering on a 
design it is neces- 
sary to have the 
flowers close to- 
gether, fonning a 
solid surface of one 
color. The accom- 
panying illustrations show sorne attractive 
floral work. The Mystic Shrine design shows 
the solid manner of filling which is necessary 
in order to obtain the color effect. 



SCROLL OF FLOWERS 




%^^M 



MYSTIC SHRINE 



120 



HOME FLORICULTURE 



The ladies are always interested in weddings 
and on such an occasion the house or church 
should always be properly decorated. Various 
designs are suspended over the couple, such 
as a bell, four-leaf clover, bow and arrow, 
heart, horseshoe, hook and eye, etc. The 
bride's bouquet is often arranged in what 

is called a 
shower bou- 
q u e t with 
small rose 
budsorstems 
of Lily of the 
Valley with 
some fine 
green foliage 
suspended by 
small white 
ribbons as 
shown in il- 
lustration. 

To secure 
best results 
and make 
flowers keep 
and hold 
their beauty 
the longest 
timeit-is well 
to cut them 
before they 
fully devel- 
op. We al- 

BEIDE'S SHOWER BOUQUET 




HOME FLORICULTURE 121 

ways prefer to cut flowers either toward even- 
ing or very early in the morning before the sun 
is bright and by putting them into water at 
once in a cool place, they will take up suffi- 
cient of the water through their stems to keep 
them fresh. 

When in a vase in the house, it is much 
more enjoyable to see the petals unfold and 
develop into their perfection of beauty than to 
have them fully developed at first, and you 
can watch only the process of fading. Some 
flowers, such as the Gladiolus, seem to open 
fully as well in water and last much longer 
than in the open ground and thus a prolonged 
term of beauty is secured. Therefore, cut the 
spikes of Gladiolus when the first flower buds 
begin to unfold and before those higher up on 
the spikes have expanded. . If it is intended 
to ship the flowers, it is also much better to 
pick them when they are young, as they can 
be handled then with little chance of injury, 
and will arrive at their destination in a fresh 
condition. With Paeonies which have a some- 
what short season, we usually cut a great 
many flowers, wrap each flower with a paper 
to keep them from expanding, and put them 
away in a cool, dark place to be brought out 
to the light later, when most of their compan- 
ions are withered and gone. 

To keep flowers fresh, recut the stems oc- 
casionally with a sharp knife, slanting, so as 
to open up the absorbing stem pores. We have 
sometimes found that when flowers begin to 
fade, we can freshen them by dipping the tip 



122 HOME FLORICULTURE 

end of the stems in hot water for a minute 
or two. They revive quite quickly and keep 
fairly well thereafter. It is stated that cut 
flowers will keep better in* warm weather if 
a few twigs of cedar are put into the vase w^ith 
the water. Others advise a pinch of soda or 
salt peter in the water, or formaldehyde, al- 
cohol or salicylic acid. 

It is really surprising to one uninitiated to 
know of the immense quantities of cut flowers 
that are sold in all large cities. The number 
is almost beyond belief and thousands of per- 
sons make their livelihood by growing the va- 
rious classes of flowers. This is true not only 
in this country but around the large cities 
of Europe, Paris being probably the greatest 
retail cut flower mart in all the w^orld. It is 
said that during the season of 1909 there were 
sold there Roses to the value of 1,500,000 francs, 
or $300,000.00. Carnations to the amount of 
2,300,000 francs and ATolets 5,000,000 francs, 
not to mention countless millions of Hya- 
cinths, Narcissus and other flowers. 

The town of Ollioules, in Southern France, 
is the greatest shipping point for flowers, there 
being rnore than 200,000 individual ship- 
ments there last season to Paris, England and 
Germany, and they have a special cut flower 
train so as to secure quick service. 

One of the pleasures of flower culture is 
in being able to give away a few flowers or 
plants or seeds here and there, and the true 
flower lover is often compelled to admit that 
it is more pleasurable to give than to receive. 



HOME FLORICULTURE 123 

The main effort of all plant life is to pro- 
duce seed and the flowers should be removed be- 
fore they begin to wither or the plant will soon 
cease to produce blooms and the strength will 
go to seed. This is especially true of Sweet 
Peas. Give flowers to your friends and to the 
sick; also send them to schools and churches. 



WOMEN FLORISTS. 

Some ladies make considerable pin money 
from selling flowers and it really proves a de- 
sirable occupation. In some cases they have 
started by selling their surplus flowers to the 
local florists. They have found it profitable 
and increased their plant until finally they 
were induced to put up greenhouses so as to 
supply the demand. A\ hile we would not 
want to give out the advice promiscuously to 
ladies to adopt flower growing as a livelihood, 
as there are many who start at it enthusiastic- 
ally, but soon lose their interest when they 
find that there is so much hard^ dirty work 
about it, still it is well to remember that you 
can secure some profit from the growing 
of flowers, and also have all the pleasure of 
a nice flower garden that you would have if 
it were simply for your own use. 

We know many ladies who have made a 
decided success as florists, and some have good 
sized greenhouse establishments, while others 
have devoted their attention to cut flower 
stores and seem to succeed just as well as the 
men. There is much about the florist's work 
which is cheery and inspiring, and it is very 



124 HOME FLORICULTURE 

pleasant indeed to propagate the various kinds 
of plants and see them grow, come to perfec- 
tion and bloom under one's care. In starting 
such an establishment it is well to begin with 
the outdoor flowers, and purchase the various 
plants and seeds which you may need in the 
spring. During the summer build your green- 
houses and in the fall you will have plants 
ready to take in out of your own garden and be 
able to stock it in that way at a much lower 
cost, than if you were obliged to purchase all 
the plants needed. The florist business is more 
pleasant than teaching school, stenography, 
clerking or many other kinds of w^ork, which 
usually are done by w^omen, and if properly 
handled, more can be made out of it. In one 
small town, not far from this city where there 
was no greenhouse establishment, several la- 
dies clubbed together and put up a greenhouse 
and devoted considerable time to its care. 
They were all busy, how^ever, with their own 
affairs and as it happened none of them could 
spare sufficient time to give it close atten- 
tion, and they, therefore, engaged a florist to 
conduct the greenhouses for them under their 
direction. It has proved to be, we believe, 
quite profitable, and they are not only sup- 
plying the home demand for flowers, but are 
also shipping their surplus to the city. 

f4 




HOME FLORICULTURE 125 

SWEET SCENTED FLOWERS. 

While the color, shape and quality of flowers 
appeals to everyone, still there is perhaps no 
quality which flowers possess which recom- 
mends them more to our notice than their 
perfume. Some of the most beautiful flow- 
ers have no odor; they are able to attract 
insects by their bright colors ; then there are 
others which are comparatively insignificant 
in size, shape and color, but have a strong, 
delightful odor, such as the night blooming 
Jasmine, which sends out its perfume only 
in the evening and thus attracts the nocturnal 
insects. With most flowers the fragrance is 
delightful, but there are a few, however, like 
the Cleome and Stapelia in w^hich the odor is 
disagreeable and even repulsive. Some plants 
have quite a fragrance to the leaves, but in 
most plants the fragrance is confined to the 
flower. 

One of the most pleasing fragrant leaf plants 
is the Lemon Verbena. Its odor is grateful 
and refreshing, not only when the leaves are 
mixed in with a bouquet, but also in the garden 
where it gives out its fragrance at all times. 
It is said that the odor of the Lemon Verbena 
and some other fragrant plants is objection- 
able to the ordinary house flies, and by put- 
ting a plant of it or the cut sprays from the 
plant in the window it will help to keep away 
these troublesome pests. There are many va- 
rieties of Geraniums which have fragrant 
leaves, particularly the rose, nutmeg and pep- 
permint scented sorts. 



126 HOME FLORICULTURE 

Sweet odors quiet the nerves and are so re- 
freshing that it is no wonder that the plants 
which possess them become favorites with the 
American ladies. Some ladies like to put the 
leaves in the tea pot as it gives a fragrance 
and fine flavor to even the more common 
grades of tea. Some chemists have claimed 
that the perfume exhaled from flowers has a 
positively beneficial influence, as it assists in 
converting oxygen into ozone and in some 
cases it has been proven that fragrant flowers 
really act as a disinfectant. 

In a garden of fragrant flowers the Tube- 
rose will take a prominent place and of course 
you will want various kinds of Roses, Carna 
tions, Violets and the old fashioned Grass 
Pinks and Lavender, The following annuals 
which are easily grown from seed are quite 
f ras^rant : 



Abronia 


Mathiola 


Stocks 


Alyssum 


Mignonette 


Sweet Peas 


Asperula 


Musk Plant 


Sweet Rocket 


Cleome 


Nicotiana Affinis 


Sweet Sultan 


Dianthus 


Pinks 


Sweet William 


Pour O'clock 


Petunia 


Wallflower 


Heliotrope 


Scabiosa 





Extracting Perfume From Flowers. — In Rou- 
melia a large acreage is devoted to growing 
Roses from which to extract the perfume. 
This is done by means of distillation which 
begins about the middle of May and contin- 
ues during the principal blooming season 
which lasts for about four weeks. The flowers 
are gathered before sunrise and put into the 
still at once. The still is a copper vessel or 
boiler, known as the alembic, which is round 
at the base and becomes narrower toward 



HOME FLORICULTURE 127 

the top on which is fitted a dome or neck, so 
that when the contents of the vessel begin to 
boil the steam generated is carried into the 
condensing pipe and run ofif through a side 
pipe to the vat. On top of this vat of con- 
densed water, the rose oil or so called Attar 
of Roses, floats, and it requires about 3000 
lbs. of rose flowers to produce one pound of 
the Attar. The variety of roses most used 
is the Provence or Cabbage Rose (Rosa Cen- 
tifolia.) In the south of France, another sys- 
tem of obtaining the Attar is adopted. There 
they spread very thin grease, say a butter 
made of a mixture of lard and beef suet, upon 
a broad flat surface, and upon this sprinkle 
the rose petals or the petals of any other 
sweet scented flowers and cover it up in such 
a manner as to exclude the air. In a few hours 
this butter will absorb the odor from the 
flowers and become itself fragrant. This is 
called the infleurage process. The success of 
the process depends on the a1)solute purity of 
the grease, the fat being treated with alum, 
salt and nitre, and then washed frequently 
with plain water, so that the butter, thus 
purified, loses all trace of its animal odor. Each 
time fresh flowers are added the butter is 
worked over thoroughly with a knife so as to 
present a new surface to the flowers, until it 
finally becomes impregnated with the odor. 
It is then shipped in that condition to the va- 
rious perfume factories, where it is mixed with 
strong alcohol, which extracts the odor from 
the butter or other fatty substance which is 



128 HOME FLORICULTURE 

used. As a rule it requires five pounds of 
flowers to one pound of butter, and one gallon 
of alcohol is used to eight pounds of the butter. 



EVERLASTING FLOWERS. 

When the summer flowers are gone, and 
especially if your home is located far from any 
greenhouse, it is pleasant to have some bou- 
quets of everlasting flowers to decorate the 
mantel and other parts of the house. Among 
these the most prominent are the Helichrysum, 
Gomphrena and Accroclinum. Also there are 
many other varieties which can be used to ad- 
vantage such as the Ammobium, Australian 
Star Flower, Gold and Silver Flower, Rho- 
danthe, Statice and Zeranthemum. All of 
these flowers are easily grown from seed and 
prove quite satisfactory. Bouquets of ever- 
lastings can be made up much more tastefully 
by using with them some of the ornamental 
grasses of which there are many varieties, no- 
tably the Brizas, Bromus, Stipa Pinnata, 
Agrostis and Pampas grass. The last named 
does not bloom until the second year, and 
being tender, it is necessary to take the roots 
into the cellar in the winter. Everlastings 
should be cut as soon as the blossoms come 
into full bloom, tying them in small bundles, 
and hanging them up, head downwards to dryj 
One of the most common everlastings with 
florists is the French Immortelle. These are 
not grown in this country, all of the flowers 
being imported from France. Many flower 



HOME FLORICULTURE 129 

lovers try to purchase seed of same, but it is a 
plant which seldom produces seed, and is prop- 
agated by cuttings or divisions of roots. Im- 
mense quantities of the flowers are grown in 
France, and they are imported either in their 
natural color, which is a clear lemon yellow, 
or they may be dyed in various shades, direct 
from the natural color. The usual manner, 
however, in dying these flowers is to bleach 
them out to pure white, and afterwards dye 
them, as the flowers take up the coloring mat- 
ter much better after being bleached. 

Aside from the ordinary varieties of ever- 
lasting there are many other plants produced 
which will help make up the everlasting bou- 
quet. One of the most beautiful is sometimes 
sold under the name of Fairy Flower. It con- 
sists of a downy, fluffy looking ball of white, and 
is made from fibers of the common Milkweed. 
To prepare these flowers, it is necessary to 
cut open the pod and separate the plumes 
straight so that the seed ends are together, re- 
move the seeds, tie a fine wire around the little 
bundle and draw it tight. When exposed to 
the air, it will fluff out, and make a ball. A 
little practice will enable one to make these 
balls very rapidly. There are many kinds of 
fancy grasses growing in the woods and 
swamps which are quite attractive in the win- 
ter bouquet. 

The large flower heads of Hydrangea Pan- 
iculata Grandiflora can be picked at the va- 
rious stages of their growth and if dried in the 
shade will hold their beauty, and be attractive 
throughout the winter. 



130 HOME FLORICULTURE 

Pressed Ferns. — Those who live where they 
can obtain ferns will find that the fronds when 
pressed make very pretty ornaments for decor- 
ating the walls or lace curtains for the winter. 
They should be carefully smoothed out and 
pressed in a heavy book 'between pieces of 
white paper as soon as gathered, as the leaves 
curl up very quickly when exposed to the air 
after cutting. The Maiden Hair fern (Ad- 
iantum) is one of the handsomest for pressing, 
as is also the so-called Hartford Climbing 
Fern. 



WINTER DECORATIONS. 

"The Veautiful is as useful a^ the useful." — Victor Hugo. 

At Christmas it is the universal custom to 
decorate churches and halls with holly, mistle- 
toe, evergreens, etc., and during recent years 
the custom of decorating the home is becom- 
ing more universal. Almost everyone likes to 
brighten the living room by having a bright, 
green Christmas wreath hanging in the win- 
dow, and sprays of holly over the chandeliers. 
Holly may be considered the most important 
item in our Christmas decorating. The leaves 
are dark, glistening green, with prickly edges, 
and branches with numerous clusters of bright 
red berries, making them peculiarly showy. 
This holly grows wild throughout Delaware, 
Maryland and Virginia, especially along the 
seacoast, also to a more limited extent else- 
where. There is another variety of Holly 
with smoother, more flat leaves, and not quite 
so many berries grown in the Southern States, 



HOME FLORICULTURE 



131 



and as it usually sells at a lower price, 
considerable quantities of it are used, especial- 
ly seasons when the Eastern Holly is scarce. 
The Lycopodium, which is also called Bou- 
quet Green or Ground Pine, is one of the light- 
est and prettiest little evergreens and is used 
very largely for making garland or wreathing. 
This is a native of the Northern woods, grow- 
ing only 6 to 8 inches high, and thickly cover- 
ing the ground under the pine trees. It is 
gathered mostly by the Indians and tied into 
small bunches. It keeps nicely for weeks, is 
easily made into garland or wreathing by 
winding with small wire, using a strong cord 
for the core to wind it on, or it can be wound 
on itself, one stem following the other. It is 
also very generally used for making lettering. 

The Mistletoe 
branches are very 
popular decora- 
tions for holidays 
and especially for 
New Year's when 
many a young 
couple causes 
amusement by be- 
ing caught "undei 
the mistletoe." It 
is not used in 
large quantities, 
but almost every- 
one wants one or 
two branches. 
Another hand- 



"fe-^ 



ff'^^-\4 



'AIB FEKN" 



132 HOME FLORICULTURE 

some trimming is the Florida or Spanish Grav 
Moss, so noted throughout the South. It is 
used largely for festooning on chandeliers, 
around pictures, Christmas trees, etc., and 
gives a most graceful effect. 

The so called "Air Fern" so largely sold in 
all parts of the country, is really a variety 
of sea moss which has been dried and colored 
to a beautiful bright green color. It is deli- 
cate appearing as well as graceful and attract- 
ive and may be suspended from a small bask- 
et, sea shell or other receptacle and appears to 
be growing. 

FLOWER DAYS. 

There are now quite a number of days which 
may be called ''flower days." New Year's is 
noted as a time when flowers are sent to 
friends. No lover will forget Valentine's Day, 
February 14th, which is supposed to be the 
mating time for birds, and he would be dull 
indeed, who neglected to send a Valentine to 
his lady love, and what is better than a box of 
beautiful fragrant flowers! When McKinley's 
birthday (January 29th) comes, almost every- 
one in the large cities wears a pink or red car- 
nation, President McKinley's favorite flower. 
Easter is of all days, the one when flowers are 
the most in demand, not only are the churches 
decorated, but every young man thinks he 
must have a box of flowers to send to his best 
girl. May Day is the day when all lovers give 
to their fair "ladye" a basket of beautiful bios- 



HOME FLORICULTURE 133 

soms, when even the children and old people 
exchange May baskets, and it is truly the fes- 
tival of flov^rers. 

Mother's Day is a more recent memorial day 
for the mothers and during the past fev^ years 
it has become an almost universal custom, to 
on that day v^ear a flower of any kind in mem- 
ory of your mother, white flowers are worn if 
the mother is dead, while any color of flower 
answers the purpose for the living. The first 
Sunday in May is generally recognized as 
"Mother's Day." Memorial Day, or Decora- 
tion Day, as it is called, is the people's day, 
and while it was primarily instituted on May 
30th in memory of the soldiers, still it is now a 
time for decorating the graves of any of our 
friends who have passed away, and it is a 
beautiful custom. 

On the first Monday in September Labor 
Day is celebrated. While it is not usually 
considered a day for flowers, still during the 
past few years, almost everyone who marches 
in the Labor Day procession wants to have 
his coat lapel decorated with some bright 
flower, and it has become a custom for them 
to wear an Aster on this gala day. In this 
city last Labor Day there were about seven 
thousand men marching in line and the major- 
ity never had worn flowers before except on 
previous Labor Days. 

Thanksgiving is the time for home coming, 
and we cannot enjoy the feast which is spread 
to the fullest extent, unless the table is prop- 
erly decorated with flowers. 



134 HOME FLORICULTURE 

Christmas is the day for giving gifts in mem- 
ory of the Great Gift, wliich we all received. 
We like to do what we can to brighten the 
lives of others, and what helps more than a 
beautiful bunch of bright flowers, when per- 
haps all outside is covered with snow and ap- 
pears so dreary? Christmas is also the time 
for Holly and Evergreen, and the windows 
everywhere are filled with Christmas wreaths 
of Holly and Lycopodium. 

When we consider how much flowers do to 
brighten our lives, and perhaps our homes, we 
feel that it is impossible to have too many of 
them. We should make them part of our 
daily life. We need them in our homes, in 
our churches, and they will add grace and 
beauty everywhere. It is proper, therefore, 
that they should be made prominent on all of 
our holidays and gala occasions, and the pre- 
senting of flowers is the highest compliment 
we can make to those whom we love, or to the 
public oratbr, singer, or actress. They are not 
only used for funerals and weddings, but for 
school commencements, banquets, festivals, 
and on almost all occasions. 



HOME FLORICULTURE ' 135 



POPULAR NAMES FOR PLANTS. 

As this book is intended for popular use we 
refer to the various plants by their most or- 
dinary or commonly used names. In many 
cases this is different from the botanical or 
scientific name. We love the pretty little 
Pansies which look up at us with their bright, 
smiling faces, and it would he an outrage in 
common parlance to call them Viola Tricolor 
Maxima. We expect to always call the fra- 
grant early flowering shrub which is such a 
favorite with everyone a Lilac, regardless of 
the fact that it is properly a Syringa, and what 
is commonly known as • Syringa or Mock 
Orange is really Philadelphus. 

We append here a list of the popular and 
botanic names for the same flower, which may 
be useful for reference. It is well to remem- 
ber, however, that the same common name is 
not used universally in all parts of the 
country : 

Artillery Plant Pilea Chamomile Anthemis 

Adams Needle Yucca California Poppy 

Aurora Flower Gailardia Eschscholtsia 

American Senna Cassia Canary Flower . .Tropaeolutti 

Aster Callistephus Candytuft Iberis 

Bal^^am Impatiens Canterbury Bell. .Campanula 

Bergamot Monarda Cape Gooseberry . . .Physalis 

Bottle Gourd Lagenaria Carnation Dianthus 

Butter fly Flower.. 8 chizanthus Caster Oil Plant. .. .Ricinus 

Butterfly Flower. . .Asclepias Catcbfly Silene 

Baby's Breath. . . .Gypsophila Cone Flower Rudheckia 

Blackberry Lily. .Pardanthus Cockscomb Celosia 

Bell Flower Platycodon Columbine Aquilegia 

Bachelor's Button.. Centanrea Cornflower Centaiirea 

Bachelor ' s Button . Gomphrena Cowslip Dodecatheon 

Burning Bush Kochia Daisy Bellis 

Boston Ivy . .Ampelopirs Dragon's Head 

Banana Palm, Mu^a Dracocephalum 

Bleeding Heart Dicentra Day Lily Funkia 

Cardinal Flower Lobelia Everlasting Pea. ... Lat7ii/rMS 



136 



HOME FLORICULTURE 



Evening Primrose . . Ccnoihera 
Everlasting . . . .Helichrysum 

Feather Grass Xffpa 

Feverfew I'ljrcthritm 

Flax Litnim 

Flower-of-an-Hour . flihisrwi 

P"'orget-me-not Mijosnti^ 

Foxglove nir/ital>.s 

Fraxinella Dirtamnus 

Four O'clock Mirabilis 

False Indigo Baptisia 

FalS'^ Chamomile. . . Boltonia 
Flowering Map\e.. . .Abvtilon 

Golden Rod SoUdng^ 

Geranium PeJarfjnniwm 

Gas Plant Diciamnns 

Gentianella Gcntiana 

Globe Thistle Echivnps 

Gourd Cxicurbita 

Heartsease Viola 

Hollyhock Althaea 

Honesty Lunaria 

Horn-poppy Glaucium 

Ice-plant Mesem'bryanthenium 

Indian Pink Dianthus 

Indian Shot Canna 

Jacob's Ladder. . Polemonium 

Larkspur DeVijMnium 

Lavender Lavandula 

Love Grass Eragrostis 

Love-in-a-Mlst Nigelli 

Love-lies-bleeding Amarantus 

Love-in-a-puff Nigella 

Lemon Lily . . .Hemorocallis 

Mallow Hibiscus 

Marigold Tagetes 

Marvel of Peru. . . .Mirabilis 

Mignonette Reseda 

Monkey Flower . . . .Mimulus 

Monkshood Aconitum 

Musk Plant Mimulus 

Nasturtium Tropaeolum 

Moneywort Lysimachia 



Moss Pink . . .Phlox Sublata 

Myrtle Vinci 

Orange L,ily . . . . Hemorocall i s 

Oswego Tea Monardin 

Pansy Viola 

Passion Flower . . Passiflnra 

Pot Marigold Caleiuhtin 

Persicnria Pohifinuum 

Picotee Dianthus 

Pimpernel Anagallis 

Polyanthus Primula 

Poppy Papaver 

Primrose, Chinese.. .PrimwZa 
Prince's Feather . .Amarantus 

Red-hot Poker Tritoma 

Ragged Robin Lychnis 

Rocket, Sweet Het^peris 

Rock Rose. . . .Hclianthemum 

Skull Cap Scutellaria 

Sensitive Plant .... Mimosa 
Snapdragon . . . .Antirrhinum 

Speedwell Veronica 

Stock, German Matthiola 

Stock, YiTgmia.n. .Malcolmia 

Sunflower Helianthus 

Sweet Alyssum . . . .Alyssum 

Sweet Pea Laihyrus 

Sweet Sultan .... Centaurea 
Sweet William . . . .Dianthus 

Sweet Scabious Scabiosa 

Shooting Star ... Dodecatheon 

Stonecrop Sedum 

Thyme Thymus 

Thrift Armeria 

Toad Flax Linaria 

Valerian, 'ReA. . .Centranthus 
Venus' Looking-Glass. . . 

Specularia 

Violet Viola 

Wallflower Cheiranthu^ 

Winter CTierry . . . .Physalis 

Wood Sorrel Oxalis 

Yarrow Achillea 




HOME FLORICULTURE 137 

PLANTS IN LIVING ROOMS. 

As the season approaches for taking up and 
potting plants for winter decoration and 
blooming, the old saying that "growing plants 
in the house are injurious to the health" is 
again reiterated, although the idea was so long 
ago proved false and the opposite view clearly 
established. When we take into consideration 
the fact that but for vegetation, which purifies 
the atmosphere, we could not exist at all, the 
old opinion mentioned above is clearly un- 
tenable. 

Through their manner of growth the leaves 
of plants, trees and shrubs, purify the atmos- 
phere upon which we subsist, restoring it to 
its normal condition and imparting consider- 
able quantities of ozone, thus rendering it 
healthy and salubrious. The plant feeds upon 
that constituent of the atmosphere in the liv- 
ing room which is injurious to us, and in re- 
turn gives us an atmosphere adapted to our 
necessities. * As a matter of fact, no really 
good and sufficient reason has ever been given 
for excluding plants from rooms, but it is usu- 
ally a hearsay argument, though it is well un- 
derstood that such plants as Tuberoses and 
Jasmine, which exhale certain powerful odors, 
should not be kept in bed rooms unless the 
apartments are well ventilated. 

Many experiments have been made to test 
this matter, and it has been proven that flow- 
ering plants are health producers, owing to 
the amount of ozone generated by them, and it 
has been asserted, that, however produced, 



138 HOME FLORICULTURE 

there seems to be no difference of opiiTion as 
to the value of ozone in our atmosphere. The 
majority of chemists are agreed that it is the 
great purifier, and not one attributes to it any 
deleterious influences. 

As still other testimony it may be stated 
that an association of pharmacists in Paris, 
discussing this question of the influence of 
plants in bedrooms upon the health of the oc- 
cupants arrived at the conclusion that plants 
arc beneficial, especially to consumptives, 
plants v^ithout flowers being preferable to 
those in bloom. 

In the window garden it is well to have 
some plants with fragrant leaves, such as pep- 
permint, rose leaved and other scented ger- 
aniums, lemon verbena, etc., as they all give 
out a sweet scent, which is very pleasant, espe- 
cially if there are no plants in bloom. 

We are confident that plants in the living 
rooms do much good in other ways. The 
moral influence exerted by a geranium in 
brightening the homes and cheering the long 
winter months cannot be otherwise than good. 
Then don't be afraid of plants in any part of 
the house, as they are both cheerful and bene- 
ficial. 




HOME FLORICULTURE 139 

FERNS. 

During the past few years Ferns have be- 
come the most popular of all plants for house 
culture. Their fresh, bright green color, hand- 
some outline, beautiful foliage and graceful 
habit of growth give them a most charming 
decorative effect. There are several thousands 
of varieties from the very small creeping sorts 
to the tree ferns, sometimes forty feet high. 
Most of the varieties now under cultivation, 
including many beautiful forms, will thrive in 
any dwelling room, if given a place, away 
from the radiator and near a window, not ex- 
posed to the fullest sunlight. An east or north 
window affords an ideal place for Ferns. Al- 
though all ferns delight in a moderately warm 
and moist atmosphere, nearly all of those va- 
rieties, most valuable for house culture, soon 
adapt themselves to living room conditions. 

Ferns should be frequently syringed to keep 
the foliage free from dust. While they like 
plenty of moisture still the pots must have 
good drainage to prevent danger of overwater- 
ing, which causes the soil to become sour and 
unsuitable for plant growing. If the pot con- 
taining the fern is kept in a jardinier care 
should be exercised to prevent the water accu- 
mulating and thus keeping the soil too wet. 
Ferns will not stand "wet feet" and at the 
same time it will not do to neglect them or 
they will suffer for lack of moisture. The best 
rule is to water the plant whenever the surface 
soil appears dry. 



140 HOME FLORICULTURE 

A good soil for Ferns consists of abouf one- 
third rich garden soil, one-third leaf mould or 
peat, and one-third sand, thoroughly mixed 
and pulverized. At the bottom of the pot 
should be placed a'bout an inch of broken pot- 
sherds, pieces of brick, charcoal or some such 
material for drainage. 

The most popular Ferns for house culture 
belong to the so-called Boston Fern class. 
The Piersoni, Whitmani, Elegantissima and 
other improved varieties have finely cut foliage 
and are very attractive. 

Most varieties of ferns are easily propagated 
by division of roots or separating the root run- 
ners. They may also be propagated from fern 
spores wrhich are produced on the underside of 
the leaves and might be called "seeds." They 
usually germinate very slov^ly and frequently 
moss accumulates in such a way as to inter- 
fere w^ith their grov^th. Excellent success is 
sometimes secured by placing a soft brick in 
the pan of w^ater, about an inch deep and sow- 
ing the seeds on top of the brick. The brick 
is quite porous, and will give the spores the 
proper amount of moisture at all times. If the 
pan is enclosed in a box covered with a pane of 
glass, raised just a trifle at one edge to secure 
ventilation, the temperature and moisture will 
be more even, and they grow more quickly. 
Fern spores may be started in a shallow box 
of soil which should be baked in the oven to 
kill all seeds or germs in it 'before sowing the 
Fern spores. Sometimes by covering the sur- 



HOME FLORICULTURE 



141 



face of the soil with a very thin coating of 
powdered charcoal, it seems to keep the soil 
sweet and the ferns grow better. 

A Home-Made Fern- 
ery. — Quite often flow- 
er lovers have a north 
window in their living 
rooms in which they 
have difficulty in grow- 
ing plants. They have 
perhaps a sufficient 
number of Palms, Rub- 
ber Plants, and speci- 
men Ferns in other parts 
of the house, and we 
would suggest a home- 
made fernery, as one of 
the most interesting or- 
naments, where they 
can be put beside the 
north window. Such a 
HOME-MADE FERNERY fcmcry cau bc cheaply 
made, by anyone who has a knack of handling 
tools. A neat wooden or sheet iron frame, 
lightly fastened together at the corners in 
such a manner as to hold the glass for the 
four sides is all that is necessary. It does not 
require the strong, tight frame for a fernery 
which would be desirable for an aquarium. 
There should be space near the bottom, so that 
a little air can be let in if necessary. Although 
this is not one of the requirements. At the 
bottom of the fernery should be a pan about 
three or four inches deep, filled with good light 




142 HOME FLORICULTURE 

leaf mold or loose, rich, sandy soil, suitable for 
the growth of Ferns. In most localities many 
beautiful varieties of Ferns can be found 
growing in the woods, but the larger varieties 
sometimes do not do well in ferneries, but re- 
quire outdoor growth. It will cost but little to 



BOSTON FERN 

obtain from the florist, plants of Maiden Hair 
Fern (Adiantum) and many other attractive 
varieties; also the Lycopodiums, Selaginella, 
and other similar plants for growing in the 
case, in fact, any of the small shade-loving 
plants will do well in such a location, and 
when properly arranged you will find great en- 
joyment in watching the growth of the plants. 
If your fernery is of good size, place some 



HOME FLORICULrTURE 143 

rough rocks in the center or to one side with 
small ferns or mosses planted amongst them, 
and it will help give it an artistic effect. Do 
not try to crowd the fernery; Give the plants 
a chance to grow and increase. If you can se- 
cure some moss from the woods, it is well to 
cover the ground under the ferns with it, and 
especially put it around the edges. • The entire 
fernery should be kept covered with a pane of 
glass to keep the temperature more even and 
retain the moisture. Water the earth thor- 
oughly when you start your case, and about 
once a month shower the leaves. That is all 
the care a case requires through the winter, 
and it is a daily source of comfort and delight. 
Hardy Ferns may be grown in the garden. 
With few exceptions they do best in a shady 
or semi-shady position in rich but well-drained 
soil, where they can be liberally supplied with 
water during dry weather. They prefer loose, 
friable soil or leaf mold. 



PALMS. 
There is no decorative plant more generally 
popular and satisfactory than the { i\m. Form- 
erly they were quite expensive and considered 
exclusively a plant for the wealthy, as tliey 
usually sold at very high prices and their 
stately, nohle, tropical appearance gives them 
a grand effect, worthy to decorate a mansion. 
It was then supposed that their culture was 
quite difficult, but now we know that if prop- 
erly started and in thrifty condition the}^ will 
stand considerable neglect and mistreatment. 



144 



HOME la^OUlCULTURE 



They are of easiest culture and some varieties 
such as the Kentias and Cocus, are decidedly 
graceful in appearance. 

As Palms are of a tropical nature they must 
have a fair amount of heat and moisture, espe- 




LATANIA BORBONICA PALM 



cially when they are small and therefore ten- 
der. It is best to water them thoroughly 
whenever the soil appears dry, and under ordi- 
nary conditions that would be once a day. Be 
careful to not overwater, as there is far greater 



HOME FLORICULTURE 145 

danger of that than of keeping too dry. 

The leaves of Palms should "be freely 
syringed with soft water and sponged quite 
frequently, especially if they are in a place 
where dust is apt to settle on the leaves. 
Young plants require considerable light, while 
established plants will do nearly as well in 
north windows. Palms do not require an ex- 
cessive heat, and most varieties will stand a 
temperature as low as 40 degrees without any 
danger. It is best not to keep Palms in a room 
where gas is burned, as it is quite injurious to 
them. It is usually beneficial to repot about 
once a year, using fresh, fairly rich soil, but 
avoid using manure. 

The most bothersome insect on Palms is the 
scale bug, although they are frequently at- 
tacked by red spider and mealy bug. For 
treatment refer to chapter on insects. 

ROSES. 

It is generally conceded that there is no 
sweeter or more beautiful flower than the Rose 
and none which is more universally satisfac- 
tory if given proper care. No home place is 
complete without them and, in fact, we can- 
not have an overabundance, as there are so 
many classes, colors and varieties that all 
tastes can be satisfied. There are not only 
hundreds, but actually thousands of varieties, 
belonging to various classes such as teas, hy- 
brid teas, hybrid perpetuals, memorial, sweet 
brier, bourbons, rugosa, polyantha, moss roses, 
climbers, etc. Each class has a peculiar beauty 



146 HOME FLORICULTURE 

of its own and all are desirable in thdr place. 

Roses love the sunshine, and should be 
planted where they will be open to the sun- 
light and a free circulation of the air for at 
least half of the day, and to obtain the best 
results they should not be shaded at any time. 
A southern exposure is ideal, but close prox- 
imity to trees and shrubbery should be avoided 
not only on account of the shade, but because 
the roots extending out under the roses rob 
them of moisture and nutriment. For best 
results they should be grown in a bed by them- 
selves where they can be well cultivated and 
pruned and for this reason they should not be 
grown in the mixed border with shrubs. 

The ideal soil for roses is a rich, deep, clayey 
loam, especially if somewhat fibrous. They 
not only grow better, but the flowers are of 
brighter color if there is some clay in the soil, 
but they are strong feeders and with the clay 
must have some richness and it should be suf- 
ficiently porous to permit of the ready drain- 
age of surplus water. Any good garden soil, 
however, which will produce good vegetables 
will, with proper fertilization, yield very fine 
roses. 

The soil should be deeply spaded and pul- 
verized, at the same time mixing in some thor- 
oughly rotted manure. Cow manure is gen- 
erally preferred by most rosarians, or, should 
this not be at hand, ground bone may be used. 
Fresh horse manure is decidedly objectionable 
After the beds are well dug and thoroughly 
pulverized, scatter the bone on the surface 



HOME FLORICULTURE 147 

until the ground is nearly covered; then with 
the use of a fork, it can be quickly and thor- 
oughly mixed with the soil. 
. In this latitude it never pays to attempt 
planting roses in the fall because they cannot 
take root in their new location before cold 
weather sets in and are consequently liable to 
be winter killed. 

Dormant roses may be planted just as early 
in the spring as the ground can be worked, be- 
ing careful never to have it wet or soggy when 
plants are set out. Pot-grown roses may be 
planted as soon as all danger from hard frosts 
are past. April, May and June are the best 
months to plant in, in this latitude. If the 
plants are apparently dry or wilted when you 
receive them from the florist, soak the root^ 
for several hours in lukewarm water before 
removing the moss or other packing around 
the roots. Do not let the roots dry out by ex- 
posing them to the air. 

The small one-year-old plants should be set 
out about one foot apart each way, while the 
two-year-old or dormant roses may be planted 
eighteen inches to two feet apart. These large 
roses should be set deeply in the ground and 
if they are grafted plants — which can be easily 
seen by the swollen appearance of the stem 
near the juncture with the root — they should 
be planted so deeply that this root graft is 
about three inches under the surface of the 
ground. Many varieties of roses grow much 
more vigorously when grafted, but it is neces- 
sary to watch closely and pull up any sprouts 



148 HOME FLORICULTURE 

of the wild rose which come up from the root 
stock. These dormant roses should have all 
the branches cut off to within four to six 
inches of the ground and they will then send 
up vigorous shoots and bloom freely the first 
year. 

When ready to plant make holes large 
enough to admit the plant with the roots 
spread out in their natural position and a lit- 
tle deeper than it has been growing, then 
cover the roots carefully w ith fine, moist earth, 
taking care to work it well in under and 
around the roots and then press down firmly 
with the hands so as to force out the air and 
bring the roots in actual contact with the soil. 
This is very important, as otherwise they are 
liable to dry out. Then pour in enough water 
to wet the roots thoroughly and add more 
earth to fill the hole rounding full and tread 
firmly down with the feet. 

Water thoroughly occasionally, evening is 
the best time, but if the ground is kept mellow 
and well stirred, very little water is required 
unless in unusually dry times. Stirring the 
surface of the earth with the hoe or rake is 
better than watering, as it serves to bring up 
moisture from below and helps to keep the 
ground free from weeds and grass, which is 
very important. Let them bloom as soon and 
as much as they will, but be sure to keep the 
flowers picked oflF every day before they 
wither and fade, for if allowed to dry up on the 
bush they weaken its growth, and fewer 
blooms will be the result. The more vigorous 



HOME FLORICULTURE 149 

your plants grow the more they will bloom, 
and the finer and sweeter the flowers will be. 

Careful and judicious pruning will encour- 
age new growth and help to secure nice- 
shaped plants. Hardy varieties should be 
pruned every year as early in the spring as the 
frost is out of the ground and the weather 
will permit. The tender roses, Teas and the 
Hybrid Teas, need not be pruned until the sap 
begins to flow and the buds begin to swell, 
for at this time dead and weak wood may be 
much more easily distinguished and cut out 
than earlier in the season. If the very biggest 
and best flowers are wanted, then severe 
pruning is necessary ; if a large crop of average 
flowers, then only moderate pruning. 

Almost all varieties of roses will live out 
over winter if properly protected. It is a good 
plan to bend the whole plant down close to 
the ground and fasten by driving stakes or 
pegs crossing each other on each side to hold 
it in place; late in the fall cover the base of 
the plant with several inches of soil. After 
severe winter weather sets in and the ground 
is frozen, cover the entire plant with leaves, 
straw or coarse litter, the object being to keep 
the ground frozen and prevent frequent thaw- 
ing and freezing. 

In spring uncover gradually before the new 
growth starts, usually early in April in this 
latitude, prune the plants as directed and you 
will be rewarded with an abundance of bloom 
that will more than repay you for the trouble 
in caring for them. 



150 HOME FLORICULTURE 

SWEET PEAS. • 

The Sweet Pea may well be called Amer- 
ica's favorite flower, as it is so popular and 
easily grown that everyone can enjoy its fra- 
grance and beauty. During the past decade 
the shape of the flower has been greatly modi- 
fied and the size increased by continuoiis high 
culture and selection. This was made specially 
prominent by the introduction of the Countess 
Spencer Sweet Peas in 1904. It was the first 
of the waved or Orchid-flowered type, but 
since then many other colors of the same form 
and large size have appeared, but to our mind 
none surpass the original Countess in beauty. 

The Sweet Pea will ever be classed in the 
front rank of garden annuals, as it is of easy 
culture, blooms freely, is of delightful fra- 
grance and unusual grace and beauty. It is 
decorative while growing in the garden, fine 
for vases and for corsage bouquets. 

Any ordinary garden soil is suitable for their 
culture provided it is well drained so that the 
water does not stand around the roots to rot 
them off They succeed better and the colors 
are brighter if there is some clay in the soil, 
but they are strong feeders and must also have 
richness. 

Select a spot where the rows can run as 
nearly north and south as possible, with a 
good exposure to sunlight, avoiding trees, 
walls or anything that would shade them, the 
idea being to keep the sun on them from morn- 
ing until night. If possible, trench in the fall 



HOME FLORICULTURE 151 

to a depth of a foot or eighteen inches, throw- 
ing out the soil and filling in with a layer of 
half-decayed cow manure and adding a good 
sprinkling of bone meal. Cover this with sev- 
eral inches of good garden loam. Let it stand 
through the winter in this condition and it 
will be ready for sowing in spring, or the seed 
may be planted in the fall and covered with 
two inches of soil and nothing more will be 
necessary until they push up in the spring. In 
case the soil was not prepared in the fall, it 
should be trenched in the early spring, as soon 
as the spade will "enter the ground, throwing 
out the soil and putting in three or four inches 
of old rotted manure. Cover this with three 
inches of fine soil on which the seeds may be 
sown, and cover seed with one inch of fine 
soil, leaving four or five inches of trench still 
unfilled. Under no circumstances should fresh 
manure be used at any time, except for pre- 
paring the trench in the fall. 

Early in the spring prepare your ground by 
making a wide furrow or trench about four 
inches deep. In this mark two parallel rows 
eight inches apart, and use one ounce of seed 
to ten feet of double row. Cover the seed with 
fine soil not more than two inches deep, and 
press the soil firmly down over it. ~ Water 
thoroughly with a fine spray; then cover the 
trench with brush or something to protect the 
seed. In about ten days, when the sprouts ap- 
pear, remove the brush, and fill in more soil 
from each side of the row, being careful not 
to cover the plants entirely, leaving a little 



152 



HOME FLORICULTURE 



trench to hold water until it soaks down to the 
very roots. 

If you have a greenhouse, hotbed or other 
conveniences for doing so, it is a good plan to 
start the Sweet Pea seeds in pots in February 
or March, sowing four or five seeds in each 
four-inch pot, and they will then be ready to 
set out as early in the spring as weather per- 
mits and will produce early flowers. 

Sweet Peas are of a climbing habit and re- 
quire support. Many use hazel brush for this 

purpose and it is ex- 
j^. ^^^'i^r^s^ cellent, but it is not 
always convenient to 
obtain, especially for 
city people, and really 
we prefer the wire 
poultry netting. It 
comes in various 
width, the 48-inch be- 
ing the most satisfac- 
tory and it is very in- 
expensive. This netting, fastened to posts 
firmly set at each end of the rows, will make 
a neat, durable support that cannot be sur- 
passed and will be serviceable year after year. 
Keep the ground well hoed between the 
rows, not only to destroy the weeds, but to 
loosen the soil and conserve the moisture. 
Should the weather become very dry and hot 
mulch thoroughly with straw, grass or some 
similar substance. 

From the time the seed begins to show 
through until the last blossom is picked from 




HOME FLORICULTURE 153 

the vines, our instructions are water — water 
frequently, water copiously, water continually; 
this, of course, provided the soil is not natur- 
ally soggy and swampy. The first six weeks 
of growing from seed is the most important., 
and water should be applied at least once every 
day during this time. Water should never be 
applied when the sun is shining. Spraying the 
vines after sunset will help to keep the foliage 
clean and in healthy, vigorous condition. 

As soon as your Sweet Peas begin to bloom., 
pick them freely. Don't let one go to seed if 
you want the plant to continue to bloom. The 
old adage is true, "The more yau give away 
the more you have." Place a vase of them 
on the dinner table and on the mantel daily. 
Send them to hospitals, churches and to less 
fortunate friends, and we venture to assert 
that you will enjoy your flowers better than 
ever before. By following these directions you 
will have such a floral display as will focus all 
eyes upon your garden and you can fairly revel 
in fashion's favorite flower from June to Octo- 
ber. 

SPRING-BLOOMING BULBS. 

Many enthusiastic flower lovers think that 
the most beautiful and satisfactory, as well as 
the most easily grown of all our flowers, are 
those raised in the house and garden during 
the winter and spring months from ''Dutch 
Bulbs," at a time when their beauty can best 
be appreciated because of the absence of other 
flowers. Nothing in the floral world surpasses 



154 HOME FLORICULTURE 

the bulbous flowering plants in richness or 
purity of flowers, and their coloring ranges 
from the most delicate shades to the gorgeous- 
ness of Oriental splendor. Among these we 
find the delightfully fragrant and beautiful Hy- 
acinths, the showy Tulips, the elegant and 
popular Narcissus, the stately Lilies, the pretty 
little Crocus, and many other equally hand- 
some kinds. While we ordinarily speak of 
them as "Dutch Bulbs," as most varieties are 
imported from Holland, still the Roman Hya- 
cinths and Paper White Narcissus are from 
Southern France, the Easter Lilies and Free- 
sias from Bermuda, Hardy Lilies from Japan, 
and other kinds of bulbs from Italy, Palestine, 
China, Mexico, etc. 

For the winter garden there is nothing pret- 
tier or more desirable than a window nicely 
arranged with these, and a very small assort- 
ment will fill the house with fragrance. All 
are of the easiest culture and no one can fail 
to have "good luck." It has been well said that 
"A Dutch bulb can snap its fingers at the most 
stupid amateur and grow and bloom in spite 
of him whether the house be light or dark, hot 
or cold." 

For house culture the bulbs may be started 
any time from the first of September to the 
last of November, but it pays 'to start them 
early. Pot them in fairly rich, sandy loam, 
water well and put them away in a cool, dark 
cellar, the object being to secure a good root 
growth before the top starts. They will usu- 
ally be ready to bring to the light in three i^^. 




HOME FLORICULTURE 155 

six weeks, but may be left longer if desired to 
delay flowering, and a succession of bloom can 
be secured in that way. Hyacinths, Narcissus 
and some other bulbs can also be grown in 
Hyacinth glasses like the accom- 
panying illustration. Fill glass 
with water so that it just touches 
the base of the bulb and put away 
in a dark place where tempera- 
ture is about 40 to 50 degrees, to 
make a good root growth. All 
bulbs of this class will bloom bet- 
ter if the room where they are 
kept when brought to the light 
is not allowed to go above 60 
degrees. 
For outdoor culture October is the best time 
to plant bulbs, so that the roots may make a 
good growth before cold weather sets in, but 
they can be set out even later if the ground is 
not frozen. They require good soil that has 
been well manured for previous crops, or else 
apply well-rotted cow or sheep manure or bone 
meal; fresh manure is injurious to bulbs. The 
soil should be well drained. A small quantity 
of sand at the base of each bulb when planted 
in stiff soil will be beneficial. In planting, the 
bulbs should be placed from an inch to live 
inches below the surface, accordiug to the size 
of the bulb. 

The accompanying diagram shows depth of 
planting and distance apart to set the bulbs. 
After the ground* freezes hard the bed should 
be covered with three or four inches of leaves 



156 



HOME FLORICULTURE 



or litter, which should be removed in early 
spring. 

The object of the covering is to keep the 
ground from frequent thawing and freezing. 
Too early and heavy covering starts the tops 
prematurely, so that they are sometimes in- 




DIAGRAM FOR PLANTING BULBS 



jured by March freezing and thawing. After 
flowering, if the beds are wanted for late 
spring planting, take up the bulbs, tops and 
roots, and ''heel in" in some corner of the gar- 
den until the bulbs mature, after which they 
should be spread out in an airy room to dry, 
and kept in a cool, dark place until time for 
replanting the following autumn. As a rule 
however, it pays better to purchase fresh bulbs 
each year, as the Holland-grown bulbs are sc 
much superior. Lilies and some other bulbs 
may be planted in permanent locations and do 
better if surrounded with some sand so as to 
keep the bulb away from direct contact with 
the soil. 



HOME FLORICULTURE 157 

LIST OF PLANTS. 

The following alphabetical list of plants has 
been arranged in such a manner as to be con- 
venient for reference as a guide to the cultiva- 
tion of plants. It gives such information as 
is usually sought, in compact form. 

Abbreviations are used as follows : Annuals 
including those plants of longer life usually 
grown, however, as one season plants are 
marked "A." Biennials are marked "B." 
Hardy Perennials marked "HP." The Tender 
Perennials (marked ''TP") are not sufficiently 
hardy to stand our ordinary winters in this 
locality even with protection and must be 
brought inside. Most of the so-called green- 
house plants which are usually grown in pots 
as house plants belong to this class. 

Climbing vines are marked *"C1;" trailing 
vines, "Trail ;" shrubs, "Sh ;" aquatics, "Aq." 
The usual height is marked in feet. The ordi- 
nary method of propogation is indicated as 
follows:' By seeds, "s;" by cuttings, "c;" by 
divisions of root, "d;" by bulbs, "b." The av- 
erage time of seed to germinate is stated in 
days. 

Some plants where there are both tender and 
hardy sorts and climbers, as well as bush vari- 
eties, and some plants where there are both 
annual and perennial sorts we have indicated 
in the manner which seemed most important. 



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Abronia A 

Acalypha TP 

Achyranthes TP 

Achillea HP 

Acacia TP-Sh 

Acorus HP 

Accroclinium A 

Aconitum HP 

Adonis A&HP 

Adlumia B-Cl 

Aeg-opodium HP 

Ageratum A 

AgTostemma A 

Akebia HP-Cl 

Alternanthera TP 

Althea HP-Sh 

Alyssum A 

Almond HP-Sh 

Alonsoa A 

Amaryllis TP 

Amaranthus A 

Ambrosia A 

Ampelopsis HP-Cl 

Ammobium HP 

Anthemis A&HP 

Antirrhinum A 

Anemone HP 

Apios HP-Cl 

Aquilegia HP 

Arabis HP 

Aralia HP-Sh 

Aristolochia HP-Cl 

Artillery Plant TP 

Arctotis A 

Argemone A&HP 

Artemesia A 

Asclepias HP 

Asparagus TP-Cl 

Asters A 

Astilbe HP 

Asperula A&HP 

Azalea TP-Sh 



Bartonia .... 
Balloon Vine 



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Bellis HP 

Begonias TP 

Bignonia HP-Cl 

Bitter Sweet HP-Cl 

Blue Bells HP 

Bocconia HP 

Boltonia HP 

Bougainvillea TP-Cl 

Bouvardia TP 

Browallia A 

Bryophyllum TP 

Brachycome A 

Bryanopsis A-Cl 

Buttercup HP 

Cactus TP 

Caladium TP 

Callas TP 

Calycanthus HP-Sh 

Calystegia HP-Cl 

Campanula B 

Candytuft A 

Canna TP 

Carnation TP 

Calceolaria A 

Calendula A 

Calliopsis A 

Catananche HP 

Calandrinia A&HP 

Callirhoe HP 

Catchfly A&HP 

Cacalia A 

Centrosema HP-Cl 

Centaurea A&HP 

Celosia A 

Chrysanthemum A&TP 

Cineraria TB&HP 

Cinnamon Vine HP-Cl 

Cleome A 

Clianthus A 

Clematis HP-Cl 

Cl,erodendron TP-Cl 

Clarkia A 

Clitoria TP 

Cocoloba TP 



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Coleus A 

Coreopsis HP 

Cornus HP-Sh 

Commelina TP 

Convolvulus Major .... A-Cl 

Convolvulus Minor A 

Cosmos '.. ' . A 

Crocus HP 

Cuphea .'. TP 

Cyclamen TP 

Cydonia HP-Sh 

Cyperus ' Aq 

Cypress Vine A-Cl 

Dahlia TP 

Datura A 

Delphinium HP 

Deutzia HP-Sh 

Dicentra HP 

Dianthus A 

Dig-italis HP 

Didiscus A 

Dolichos i A-Cl 

Eleagnus HP-Sh 

Eschscholtzia A 

Euphorbia TP-A 

Eupatorium A&HP 

Euljalia HP 

Exochordia HP-Sh 

Farf ugium TP 

Ferns TP&HP 

Ficus TP 

Flowering Currant HP-Sh 

Forsythia HP-Sh 

Freesia TP 

Fuchsia TP-Sh 

Funkia HP 

Gailardia A&HP 

Geranium TP 

Genista TP-Sh 

Gilia A 

Glecoma HP 

Gladiolus TP 



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Godetia . . . . 
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Gourds .... 
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TP 

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Helianthus, Hardy HP 

Heliotrope TP 

Hemerocallis HP 

Hedysarum HP-Sh 

Helichrysum A 

Hibiscus HP 

Hollyhock B 

Honeysuckle HP-Cl 

Hoya TP-Cl 

Hyacinth HP 

Hyacinthus TP 

Humulus A-Cl 

Hunnemannia A 



Ice Plant 

Impatiems Sultana 

Ipomea 

Iris 



A 

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A-Cl 

HP 

Jacobaea A 

Jasmine TP-Cl 

Job's Tears , A 

Kaulf ussia A 

Kochia A 

Kudzu Vine HP-Cl 

Lantana TP 

Lathyrus HP 

Larkspur A 

Lemon Tree TP-Sh 

Lemon Verbena ...... TP 

Linaria A 

Lilac KP-Sh 

Lilies HP 

Lily of the Valley HP 

Linum HP 

Lobelia HP 

Lychnis HP 



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Marigold . . . . . 
Martynia .... 
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Mandevilla TP-Cl 

Madeira Vine TP-Cl 



Manetta Vine TP 

Matrimony Vine HP- 
Mignonette 

Mimulus 

Mimosa 

Mirabiliis 

Mina Lobata A 

Momordica . . 
Moon Flower 
Monardia .... 
Montbretia. . . 
Moschosma . . 
Musa Ensete 
Musk Plant 
Myasotis .... 
Myrtle 

Narcissus . . . 
Nasturtium . 
Nemophila . . 
Nicotiana .... 

Nigella 

Nierambergia 
Nymphaea . . . 



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Oleander TP-Sh 

Orange Tree TP-Sh 

Otthona TP 

Oxalis TP 



Paeonies 

Palms 

Panicum 

Pansies 

Pardanthus . . . . , 
Parrot's Feather 
Passion Flower . 
Pentstemon .... 



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Pelarg-oniums TP 

Pennisetum A 

Petunia A 

Phacelia A 

Phlox, Drummondi .... A 

Phlox, Hardy HP 

Physosteg-ia HP 

Platycodon HP 

Plumbag-o TP 

Poppy, Common A 

Poppv, Hardy HP 

Portulaca A 

Primula HP 

Purple Fringe HP-Sh 

Pyretherum TP 



Ranunculus . 
Rhodanthe . . 

Ricinus 

Roses, Tea . . 
Roses, Hardy 



HP 

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A 

TP 

HP 



Roses, Climbing HP-Cl 

Rocket HP 

Robina HP-Sh 

Rudbeckia HP 

Russella TP 

Salpig-lossis A 

Salvia TP 

Sag-itaria TP 

Sambucus HP-Sh 

Saponaria HP 

Sanseveria TP 

Santolina TP 

Saxafraga TP 

Scabiosa A 

Scarlet Runner A 

Schizanthus A 

Sedum HP 

Relag-inella TP 

Shasta Daisy HP 

S Ik Vine HP-Cl 

Smilax TP-Cl 

Hnowball HP-Sh 

Snowberry HP-Sh 



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Stocks A 

Stokesia . HP 

Stephanotis TP-Cl 

Stevia TP 

Streptosolon TP 

Strobilanthes TP 

Sunflower A 

Sweet William HB 

Sweet Sultan A 

Swainsonia TP 

Sweet Peas A-Cl 

Syring-a HP-Sh 

Tamarix HP-Sh 

Thunbergia A 

Tigridia TP 

Torenia A 

Tritoma TP 

Tropaeolum A 

Tuberoses TP 

Tulip HP 



Valeriana 
Veronica 
A^erbena . 
Viscaria . 
Vinca . . . . 
Violet . . . 



, HP 

HP 

TP 

A 

TP 

HP 

Wallflower TP 

Wahlenbergia HP 

Wandering Jew TP 

Water Hyacinth TP 

Weigela HP-Sh 

AVhitlavia A 

Wistaria HP-Cl 

Wild Cucumber A 

Xeranthemum A 

Yucca 

Zephyranthes 

Zinnia 



HP 

TP 

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2 to 8 

2 to 6 

1 

2 

12 

2 

4 

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2 to 8 

2 

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HOME FLORICULTURE 



165 



FLORAL NOTES. 

Just a "mixed bouquet" of items gathered by 
the wayside while preparing this book and 
which there seems to be no special place for, . 
but which may prove of interest to the flower 
lover. 

Sports.— Frequently a geranium will sport 
and produce a branch on which every leaf is 
pure white. It is quite handsome and we pre- 
sume hundreds or thousands of persons have 
tried to propagate such sports, but it is useless. 
The cuttings will not root and the plant has 
not sufficient strength to be able to take up an 
independent existence. If, however, the 
branch or sideshoot is spotted, striped or varie- 
gated white and green, it will usually root and 
continue to show its distinct markings. 

Blue Hydrangea.— We have frequently re- 
ceived inquiries regarding the Blue Hydrangea 
from persons who desired plants which would 
bear flowers of that hue. There is no variety 
however, which will bear blue flowers in all 
kinds of soil, but it is not uncommon for the 
Hydrangea Hortensia and other pmk-flowered 
varieties to produce blue flowers when the soil 
contains certain constituents. The usual man- 
ner of securing this result is to mix iron filings 
in the soil, which is used to pot the plant. If 
the plant is already potted, and you do not 
wish to disturb it use only water containing 
iron rust, when watering same, or stir up the 
surface soil and sprinkle with iron filings. Use 
a weak solution of alum oi ammonia when wa- 



166 HOME FLORICULTURE 

tering the plant and it will make the iroo rust 
more rapidly and put it in such shape that the 
plant can take it up. 

Double Flowers. — Many plants produce 
double flowers in a wild state, and some which 
are usually single may become double from 
good cultivation. Florists wishing to obtain 
double flowers of any kind watch for a ten- 
dency to doubleness and preserve such speci- 
mens separately, so as to breed from them year 
after year, each time selecting the plant hav- 
ing the most double flowers. In a few genera- 
tions this tendency is intensified into the de- 
sired form. The stamens frequently changing 
to petals, and as a rule the double flowering 
sorts produce less seed for that reason. 

Balsams. — Frequently customers are disap- 
pointed with their Balsams, as all the flowers 
come single instead of double, and they think 
that they have good reason to complain of the 
seed dealer. The seed, however, from which 
these were produced may have been the very 
choicest double Balsams. Frequently when 
the season is damp and the plants grow very 
luxuriantly, the vigor of the plant seems to be 
devoted to producing foliage, and the flowers 
are single. By picking oflf the flowers and part 
of the foliage, it tends to concentrate the vigor 
of the plants into new flowers, and the subse- 
quent flowers which appear are usually double. 

Green Carnations. — About St. Patrick's Day 
the florists* windows usually contain vases of 
bright green carnations much to the wonder- 



HOME FLORICULTUHE 167 

ment of flower lovers. The manner of prepar- 
ing them is as follows : Take as fresh flowers 
as possible of the ordinary pure white carna- 
tions and dip the stems in green ink. This is 
taken up by capillary attraction and it is quite 
interesting to watch the color working through 
the minute veinings of the petals until they 
assume the rich green hue all over. Any other 
color of analine dyes can be used in the same 
manner. A few years ago a florist in this city 
who had a call for green carnations and did 
not know how to make them dipped the entire 
flower in green ink. They were worn by a 
lady, attached to her white silk dress as a cor- 
sage bouquet. The color of course came oflf 
and the florist was obliged to pay for the al- 
leged damage to the dress. 

Red Tuberoses. — It is said that red Tube- 
rose flowers may be produced by growing in 
pots and about the time the plant is in bud 
make several incisions in the bulb with a knife 
and water with red analine dye solution. 

Expensive Seed. — In producing a high-bred 
plant either in flowers or vegetables, the effort 
is made to secure perfection as nearly as pos- 
sible, and frequently much of its vitality is sac- 
rificed so that it produces but very little seed, 
and that is frequently of low vitality. This is 
true with almost everything in the vegetable 
kingdom, -except such plants as are grown 
especially for seed purposes, as for instance, 
the oil-producing plants. Many persons won- 
der why it is that improved varieties of flower 



168 HOME FLORICULTURE 

seeds always sell at so much higher price^ and 
still they are frequently of inferior vitality. 
For instance, the ordinary old-fashioned single 
Petunia seed can be produced for a few cents 
per ounce, while extra select seed of the large, 
ruffle flowered, fine colored Petunias some- 
times sells as high as $50.00 per ounce, and 
the best double flowered Petunia $200.00 per 
ounce, or ten times its weight in gold. Al- 
though this seed is so expensive still owing to 
the manner of producing it by hand hybridiza- 
tion even the choicest strains of it will usually 
produce only about 25 per cent of double flow- 
ers, the other 75 per cent being the ordinary 
single flowered plants, which are pulled up 
and thrown away as soon as they show their 
character. 

The seed of these expensive varieties is iden- 
tical to all external appearance with the cheap- 
er sorts, therefore, the seed business is a trade 
which depends entirely on the public confi- 
dence. The seedsman who handles the very 
choicest seeds which cost from perhaps ten tu 
twenty times as much to grow as the ordinary 
stock, frequently receives a complaint from 
some unappreciative customer, that his seeds 
are very expensive and do not come up well, 
while some seeds of his own growing, all 
sprouted, and were growing like weeds. When 
the plants come to perfection, however, the 
critical observer would soon realize that there 
was a diflference in quality. 

Varying Types. — We have frequently been 
asked why it is that certain varieties fail to 



HOME FLORICULTURE IGU 

come true from seed. While with most varie- 
ties of plants the progeny is identical or nearly 
identical with the parent plant, still some sorts 
do not come at all true. This in cultivated 
plants is probably the result of a crossing be- 
tween various kinds which has taken place in 
order to perfect the improved variety and it is 
not at all unusual to find a flower differing in 
color from that producing the seed. Notabld 
examples of this are Tulip, Geranium, Ver- 
bena, Dahlia, and Petunia. There are also 
many species which after having been grown 
apparently true to name for years, will break 
from the original type and amaze the grower 
with its new form, and colors heretofore un- 
known. This habit of breaking in vegetable 
or farm crops, such as Cauliflower, Celery, 
Corn, etc., has frequently caused trouble to 
seed dealers and sometimes the gardener is 
disappointed with the seed which he purchased 
although the variation in quality or type is in 
no way the fault of the seedsman who natur- 
ally is blamed for carelessness in selecting his 
seed stock. 

Annuals, Etc. — In describing the various 
classes of plants, we ordinarily speak of as an- 
nuals, those which in cultivation are usually 
or preferably grown from seed each year. 
Strictly speaking, an annual is a plant which 
is grown from seed and dies the same year, 
after producing flowers and seeds. Biennials 
are plants which do not ordinarily bear flowers 

jnor seed until the second season and then die. 

^Many of our cultivated biennials become an- 



170 HOME FLORICULTURE 

nuals if grown in a warm or long season cli- 
mate. Perennials do not ordinarily bloom un- 
til the second or some later season and then 
continue to live on and bloom or bear fruit or 
seed year after year. 

Parlor Aquatics. — Persons who like aquatic 
or bog plants, can have a dish of them grow- 
ing in the house without giving space to an 
aquarium by filling a china bowl or other re- 
ceptacle with sponge and planting the various 
kinds of aquatic plants between the pieces of 
sponge. There are a vast number of such 
plants as naturally grow in swamps or on 
margins of the streams or ponds which will 
look nice in such a position. Grass seeds can 
also be sprinkled on the sponge, and will suc- 
ceed well for quite a while. 

Giving Away Flowers. — There is an old say- 
ing: "You can't eat your goodies and keep 
them, too." This, however, is not the case 
with flowers, as the more you give, the more 
you have. There is, therefore, a peculiar sat- 
isfaction in their culture. During the bloom- 
ing season, many of our best plants will pro- 
duce an abundance of flowers continually, if 
the blooms are taken oflF as soon as fairly 
open. This is particularly true with Sweet 
Peas. If they are allowed to fade and produce 
seed, they discontinue blooming; therefore, if 
you want flowers cut them frequently; h?ve 
them on your table every day, send them to 
your friends, to the sick, or those in trouble, 
supply the church and any clubs to which you 



HOME FLORICULTURE 171 

belong; a gift of flowers is always appreciated 
at all times, and on all occasions. As the heart 
of the giver is made lighter in this way, they 
benefit both the recipient and the donor. 

Plant Shipments. — When plants are received 
from a distant florist by mail or express they 
will be greatly benefited if the roots are placed 
in lukewarm water for an hour or two before 
planting. This will restore them to their pre- 
vious freshness and they will start growing 
much more vigorously. 

Wintering Plants.— Large piants such as 
Oleanders, Agaves, Bay Trees, etc., which 
have grown too large to be kept in the sitting 
room or conservatory may be wintered suc- 
cessfully in any dry frost-proof cellar. As the 
object is to keep them as nearly dormant as 
possible do not water often, but keep the soil 
as dry as you safely can without permitting 
the plants to shrivel. Even large Geraniums, 
Hibiscus,^ Salvia and Roses can be kept suc- 
cessfully in this manner. 

Mulching. — Some plants are impatient of 
dry soil and in order to keep them in good 
growing condition it is necessary to put a 
layer of straw, dried grass or some similar 
substance around them. This not only helps 
^to keep the soil moist, but smothers out the 
weeds. In the winter a mulching is also quite 
desirable to protect the plants from frequent 
freezing and thawing. Do not apply the 
mulching until the ground is frozen, as the 
object is to keep it frozen, the plants bemg 



172 HOME FLORICULTURE 

better protected in that way. The frq^t also 
helps to kill insects in the ground and prevent 
the destructive work of field mice. 

Dust Mulch. — During the past few years we 
have been using a dust mulching around our 
plants during very dry weather with excellent 
results. This is done by avoiding any deep 
stirring of soil during dry spells, but thorough- 
ly working the top half inch or inch until it 
is pulverized into a fine dust. This acts as a 
blanket over the ground and holds the mois- 
ture around the roots of the plants, the capil- 
lary attraction* by which the moisture is ordi- 
narily conveyed to the surface being shut off. 
The dry farming system by which such won- 
derful crops are grown in the dry, arid sections 
of the West is handled in this way. Try it in 
your flower garden and you will be pleased 
with the results. 

Grafting. We presume there are few of the 
readers of this 'book who will want to under- 
take grafting plants in any general way, but 
there are some kinds, which are easily made 
and when properly grown make quite curious 
specimens. One of the best to experiment 
with is the Epiphyllum Truncatum, or Crab 
Cactus. This is also called Christmas Cactus, 
owing to the fact that it produces an immense 
number of bright red flowers, and is usually 
in full bloom about Christmas time. It can 
be grafted on almost any upright growincr 
variety of cactus, but is usually attached to 
the night blooming cereus or Pereskia Acu- 
leata. In order to graft them, take either one 



HOME FLORICULTURE 173 

section or several sections of the Epiphyllum, 
and having made a slit in the tip of Pereskia, 
insert it, and it can be held in place by trans- 
fixing with a pin, a tooth-pick, or one of the 
Pereskia's spines. A number of pieces of the 
Crab Cactus can be grafted around the top 
of the Pereskia, so as to make an umbrella- 
shaped plant of it. After grafting, keep the 
plant in v^arm temperature, and it will soon 
knit so as to sustain its life from below and 
when covered with myriads of bright crimson 
flowers it will be an object of great beauty. 

Forcing Shrubs. An interesting experiment 
during the late winter or early spring is to 
cut a few twigs a foot or so in length from 
the early flowering shrubs, plum trees, apple 
trees, etc., and place them in a vase of water 
in the house. Split the bark in several places 
on that part of the twig which extends down 
into the water to enable it to draw up or ab- 
sorb more moisture. Place in a dark cupboard 
for two to four days and change the water 
daily. Then remove to the full sunlight of a 
w^arm south window and sprinkle with warm 
water frequently to prevent the bark becom- 
ing shriveled and to keep free from dust. In 
a short time the leaves will begin to expand 
and will soon be followed by the welcome 
flowers. There is much pleasure in watching 
the gradual unfolding of the buds and the 
sprays of beautiful, unseasonable flowers rich- 
ly repay one for the trouble. 



TABLE OF CONTENTS 

Page 

Love of Flowers 5 

Botany • 9 

How New Varieties Originate 14 

Sleeping- Flowers 18 

Growing from Seed 19 

Propagation of Plants 24 

Potting Plants , 32 

Hotbeds 34 

Private Greenhouses 36 

Window Gardening 43 

Hanging Baskets and Vases 53 

The Flower Garden 59 

Hardy Perennials 64 

Hardy Shrubs 67 

Ornamental Vines 69 

Rockeries 75 

Aquatic Plants 78 

Chil.dren's Gardens 82 

Grandmother's Garden 83 

Plants for Shady Places 84 

The Back Yard 87 

Landscape Gardening 90 

Lawns 96 

Cemetery 102 

Insects and Plant Diseases 107 

Weeds 113 

Cut Flowers 115 

Wom.en Florists 123 

Sweet-Scented Flowers 125 

Everlasting Flowers 128 

Winter Decorations 130 

Flower Days 132 

Popular Names for Plants 135 

Plants in Living Rooms 137 

Ferns .' 139 

Palms 143 

Roses 145 

Sweet Peas 150 

Spring Blooming Bulbs 153 

List of Plants 157 

Floral Notes 165 



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